CBI raids spread panic among bureaucrats

Caught in the cross-fire between the Centre and the state government over a host of contentious issues concerning the national capital, the Delhi IAS Association has sought audience with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung and Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi to sort out the matter.

Panicked over the CBI raid on Mr Kejriwal’s trusted lieutenant Rajendra Kumar, the association is unsure whether to follow the instructions of its cadre-controlling authority, which is the Union home ministry, or the AAP government.

Many officers fear that if they follow the dictates of the L-G, then they will face the wrath of the AAP government and vice-versa.

In the last eight months, there have been several occasions when bureaucrats have been punished by the AAP government for following the directions of the L-G. Even chief secretary K.K. Sharma was served a show-cause notice by the CM for sending some files to the L-G.

A senior bureaucrat said that many officers were demoralised over the stand-off between the Centre and the state over a host of pressing issues concerning the city. He said that in the present situation, the officers were not taking any decisions and as a result files were being tossed from one department to the other.

The bureaucrat said that the officers were bound to follow the Transaction of Business Rules.

A source said that the association had sought appointments with the L-G, CM and Union home secretary so that they could settle these serious issues. “We do not want to play into the hands of politicians. Our job is to assist the government in framing and following rules which are in accordance with the law of the land.”

The source said that the association will in clear terms talk to all the concerned persons so that things are crystal clear.

“Once we get an assurance from all the persons concerned, then only we will start deliberating on new policies. But we need a guarantee that we will not be made scapegoats by the political parties to meet their own ends.”