Senior IRS officer gets top health post, superseding 2 IAS officers

In an unprecedented move which is bound to escalate differences between the AAP government and top bureaucrats, city minister Satyendar Jain has given charge of the health secretary to a 1992-batch Indian Revenue Service officer. Setting aside the convention of appointing senior IAS officer for the job, the minister has given the charge of the health secretary to State Health Mission managing director Tarun Seem.

Dr Seem, who also holds the additional charge of the Delhi government’s Director-General Health Services, has been directed to work as the health secretary until either secretary (health) Amar Nath resumes duty and specific orders for alternative arrangement are made by the minister concerned. Mr Jain passed the orders after Mr Amar Nath proceeded on a long leave reportedly in protest against his minister for curtailing his powers.

In his signed order, Mr Jain said that Dr Seem “shall look after the work of secretary (health) in addition to his own duties till either the secretary (health) resumes duty or till specific orders for alternative arrangement are made by the undersigned.” Mr Jain’s orders have raised eyebrows as Dr Seem has superseded two senior-most bureaucrats — special secretary (CFS/ drugs controller) Dr Mrinalini Darswal and special secretary (health) Nikhil Kumar — within his department. Mr Jain’s order has become a talking point within the city bureaucrats who feel that Dr Seem has been elevated just because he shares chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s IRS cadre.

The differences between Mr Jain and Mr Amar Nath came to light after the latter applied for two-month leave. Sources said that the health secretary was miffed with the day-to-day interference of the health minister. Prior to Mr Amar Nath, principal secretary (power) Shakuntala D. Gamlin and principal secretary (urban development) Chetan B. Sanghi had proceeded on long leave as they too were unhappy over the treatment being meted out to them by the AAP government.

While Mr Amar Nath has officially cited “personal grounds” for his two-month leave beginning February 2, sources said he was miffed after the minister through a signed order directed officials to put up files directly before him. The minister had allocated work to his special secretary, additional secretary, joint secretary and deputy secretary in the health department.

This was perhaps the first occasion when the health minister had allocated work to officials through his signed order. As per the transaction of business rules, principal secretaries are the administrative heads of departments. The ministers, at best, can issue instructions to them. In connection with putting up of files by senior bureaucrats, Mr Jain had ordered that the “principal secretary /secretary (health and family welfare) shall exercise the powers and perform the functions as per law or as authorised by the minister-in-charge.”

In his order, Mr Jain had said: “Such matter, if it requires approval of minister, would be put up special secretary (health and family welfare). Otherwise, it would be put up by the concerned officer to the special secretary/additional secretary/joint secretary of the department and then to principal secretary /secretary for approval. Similarly, for all other subjects/issues, the files will be put up by the concerned deputy secretary to the special secretary/additional secretary/joint secretary concerned, who would put it up directly to the minister-in-charge for approval. The work allocation to the special secretaries and other officers are being issued separately.”

The sources said that secretary (health) was not comfortable with day-to-day interference of the health minister as he had little control over his subordinates.

“If the secretary has no control over his subordinates, then what is the point of being HoD,” a senior officer told this newspaper.