LG office refutes Kejriwal govt's charge

Delhi Lt Governor's office today refuted the charges of AAP government that Najeeb Jung had relieved the VAT commissioner for "fighting graft" and pointed out at instances of "poor treatment" meted out to top officials including the Chief Secretary by it.
Responding to Cabinet resolutions asking the LG to explain the "compelling circumstances" which forced him to transfer Vijay Kumar, LG Secretariat said he acted on the basis of orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
It said Home Ministry on October 9 had issued directions that five officers who were earlier transferred from Delhi to other Union Territories since should be relieved with immediate effect. It said Kumar's name figured among these five officers.

"Transfers of officers to be posted out of Delhi is the exclusive domain of the Ministry of Home Affairs and at times the LG's Secretariat is asked to issue relieving orders when the transfer order issued by Ministry of Home Affairs are not implemented by the Government of Delhi.
"It is clarified there has never been any recommendation from the LG's Secretariat to the Ministry of Home Affairs requesting for transfer of any of these officers, either now or before," an official statement said.
In a resolution, the Cabinet also decided to appoint a GoM to protect officers from "political victimisation" and authorised it to take all steps required to deal with such issues including providing legal support at government's cost.

To this, the LG office responded sharply saying it will reserve its comments in view of the background of "several episodes of poor treatment meted out by the elected Government to the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretaries - Home, Power, GAD, Services, Commissioner (Transport), Principal Secretary (Law) and others".