Who’ll replace Delhi principal secretary

Within 24 hours of the CBI raid against city principal secretary (services) Rajendra Kumar, officers at the Delhi Secretariat on Wednesday were busy speculating about who would be appointed as chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s new aide. The staff officer of Mr Kejriwal, Mr Kumar, was considered as his most-trusted lieutenant. During his first tenure as the CM for 49-days in 2013, the 1989 batch IAS officer was the first pick of the AAP chief.

With Mr Kumar facing investigation in a corruption case, officers at Players Building wonder who could replace him in the CMO if, at all, he is arrested by the investigating agency. Another trusted lieutenant of Mr Kejriwal, 1988 batch IAS officer Chetan Bhushan Sanghi, has already proceeded on three-month protest leave as he was perturbed over the failure of the AAP leadership in protecting him from registration of a case against him by the anti-corruption branch. The anti-corruption watchdog had registered the case against Mr Sanghi in connection with the conversion of 360 industrial sheds from leasehold to freehold, in violation of rules.

All eyes are on VAT commissioner S.S. Yadav, whose Central posting was stalled by the APP government after Mr Kejriwal gave him additional charge of his secretary. Though Mr Yadav was recently given charge of the VAT department, a source said there are indications that he might be given additional responsibilities of the departments which were being handled by Mr Kumar.

A senior bureaucrat said that the AAP government had also sought the services of Sanjeev Chaturvedi, who is currently on the Central deputation. “If the Centre relieves him, he may be the new Man Friday of the CM.”

Some junior employees were seen talking about Dr Vasanta Kumar, another IAS officer, but a source said the officer cannot be given charge of the principal secretary’s post as he was already working as a secretary to the CM.

In the face of the growing trust deficit between a section of the IAS officers and the AAP government, many senior bureaucrats are reportedly lobbying for Central postings. Even chief secretary K.K. Sharma, who had been served a show-cause notice, is said to be “unhappy” with the treatment meted out to him by the CM. Mr Kejriwal had, in fact, issued a show-cause notice to his chief secretary for sending some files to lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung.

A source close to one of the ministers said that the AAP government was keen to promote DANICS over IAS officers.

“That’s precisely why some key posts have been given to the DANICS. The recent high-profile posting was of DANICS officer Sanjeev Ahuja, who was appointed as MD of the DSIDC. Conventionally, the DSIDC MD used to be a senior IAS officer.”