The Delhi Government is planning to ask Lieutenant Governor-appointed Home Secretary Dharam Pal to immediately relinquish his post and vacate his office, and has threatened to take action if he does not follow the order.
Sources said Home Minister Satyender Jain has written a letter, which may be sent to Mr. Pal on Monday , in this regard.
In the letter, Mr. Jain has said that Mr. Pal must vacate his office on the fifth floor of the Delhi Secretariat as he is “unauthorisedly” occupying it.
When contacted, Mr. Pal said he would continue and would not vacate his office.
“I will sit in my office on Monday and continue as Home Secretary because my appointment, which is constitutional, has been made by the L-G,” he told PTI .
Four days ago, Mr. Pal was firmly told by the AAP government to obey its order transferring him to the Centre, even though the Union Home Ministry threw its weight behind him and asked him to continue.
According to the sources, Mr. Jain in the letter has said that Mr. Pal had been relieved by the government on June 9 and if he continued to occupy office at the secretariat, it would be considered as unauthorised occupation, and that the government would take disciplinary action in the matter.
The AAP government recently removed Mr. Pal as Home Secretary for notifying the appointment of M K Meena as the chief of Delhi’s Anti-Corruption Branch, which was done on the orders of Lt Governor Najeeb Jung.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has strongly opposed Mr. Meena’a appointment as the ACB chief superseding his hand-picked officer S S Yadav.
The Home Ministry had last week told Delhi Chief Secretary K K Sharma to ensure that Mr. Pal continues as Home Secretary. — PTI
