Kejriwal writes to Delhi LG; urges to remove health, finance secretaries

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday wrote to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena seeking the removal of two Health and Finance secretaries.

Earlier on Saturday, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressing his "deep disappointment and concern" with regard to the "pathetic state" of hospitals under the Health Department of GNCTD (Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi)."

Kejriwal replied, "I have repeatedly requested you to replace these two bureaucrats with better officers as these are very critical departments. I am sure that there must be some compulsion at your end because of which you are unable to do that despite promising me many times that you would replace them."

While responding to Saxena's letter, Kejriwal wrote, " I am in receipt of your letter dated 3rd Feb regarding deteriorating health infrastructure in Delhi. I have asked the Health Minister for a report on the same. However, I wish to state that I have written to you earlier also to replace the Health Secretary Sh. Deepak Kumar, who is not only inefficient but openly defies the oral and written orders of his minister. How can an elected government function if the senior-most bureaucrat in that department refuses to follow the orders of his Minister? Likewise, the Finance Secretary, Sh. Ashish Verma had in the past stopped the payments of medicines, lab tests, doctors' salaries, farsighted schemes, and the DAK scheme, thus paralysing the entire health system. I have requested you several times in the past, both in my personal meetings with you and in writing, to replace the Finance Secretary."

In the letter it read, "He also openly defies orders of his Finance Minister. It is extremely important that the bureaucrats follow the orders of their ministers. The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has also laid down in its order dated 11th May 2023 about the triple chain of accountability in our parliamentary democracy bureaucracy is accountable to the Council of Ministers, the Council of Ministers is accountable to the Legislature and the Legislature is accountable to the people. If any one component of this triple chain breaks, the entire governance system would collapse."

Further stressing the need for the replacement of the two bureaucrats, Kejriwal wrote, "The insubordination and refusal of Finance Secretary and Health Secretary to obey the orders of their Ministers has brought Delhi's Health system to this state. I have repeatedly requested you to replace these two bureaucrats with better officers as these are very critical departments. I am sure that there must be some compulsion at your end because of which you are unable to do that despite promising me many times that you would replace them."

"In the interest of the people of Delhi, I again urge you to kindly replace them at the earliest," CM requested in the letter.