Speaking at the Emergency Assembly session convened to discuss the May 21 Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification last week, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had given a clarion call to Chief Ministers of all non-BJP ruled States to join hands against the “dictatorial” Modi government at the Centre.
And now it seems the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government has already started making efforts towards galvanising non-BJP ruled States in that direction.
Sources in the government said besides Bihar, it is all set to seek officers from at least three more non-BJP States — Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Uttarakhand — for strengthening its Anti-Corruption Branch.
“Besides Bihar, five officers each are likely to be appointed from U.P., West Bengal and Uttarakhand. We may also induct one or two officers from the paramilitary forces. The ACB already has one from the CISF — which is in consonance with recruitment norms to the body since its inception,” a source added.
While U.P. is ruled by the Samajwadi Party, the Trinamool Congress and the Congress are in power in West Bengal and Uttarakhand respectively. Officials said appointment of officers from other States is not unusual and they have initiated the process of looking to fill the 20 vacant spots for the sanctioned team of 40 for the anti-graft body.
Days before launching its new helpline, the government had decided to double the strength of the Anti-Corruption Branch to 40 and its budgetary allocation. Officials, however, said the department has constraints in terms of finances and modalities are being worked out.
A senior government functionary meanwhile picked holes in Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung’s defence that the government had inducted inspector-level personnel or officials ranked below that, which was well within the Constitutional jurisdiction of the Chief Minister’s Office. “In fact, the L-G’s argument of the ACB being a police station is ironic. When it comes to transfer postings of police officials occupying Inspector-level positions and ranks below these, Delhi Police, which is directly under the L-G, takes decisions pertaining to these on its own.”
