Deputy CM proposed axing posts of 244 principals, says Raj Niwas

The Lieutenant-Governor’s office said the Education Department had sent a proposal to abolish vacant posts of principals; hitting back, Manish Sisodia accused the L-G of stalling the appointments

February 08, 2023 01:33 am | Updated 01:35 am IST - New Delhi

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia with Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia with Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO

Raj Niwas on Tuesday blamed Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for scrapping 244 vacant posts of principals in Delhi government schools, after which the latter accused Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena of stalling the appointments.

The latest war of words comes in the backdrop of 370 vacant posts of principals in Delhi government schools.

In a statement, the L-G’s office said that the Education Department under Mr. Sisodia had submitted for Mr. Saxena’s approval a proposal to revive 126 posts and abolish 244 posts of principals.

According to a Finance Ministry memo dated April 12, 2017, these 244 posts were “deemed abolished” as the Education Department could not fill them for over five years, it added.

“Contrary to Mr. Sisodia’s claims, the L-G did not agree with the proposal of abolition of 244 posts, and instead advised the Education Department to submit a suitable proposal for abolition/creation of posts of Principal/Deputy Education Officer after getting a comprehensive study conducted by the Administrative Reforms Department which is mandatory,” an official from the L-G’s office said.

In his rebuttal, Mr. Sisodia, who is also the Education Minister, said that the L-G stalled the appointment of principals by bypassing him. “The L-G is lying by claiming delay on the part of the [Delhi] government. He has directed the Education Department officials to report directly to him and not the minister. He is misleading the people of Delhi by falsely appropriating credit for revival of 126 posts while putting the remaining 244 posts on the back burner,” the Deputy CM added.

On Sunday, the Deputy CM had said he had ensured that the file on appointment of 370 principals reached the L-G’s office, but Mr. Saxena approved only 126 of those and had withheld the other 244 on “flimsy grounds”. He had also accused the L-G of “unconstitutionally” taking over the Services Department.

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