Under fire from AAP, city health secretary shunted

New Delhi: City health secretary Chandraker Bharti, who has been under constant fire from the AAP leaders, was finally relieved of his charge as the health secretary of the Delhi government. The development assumes significance in the wake of Delhi Assembly speaker Ram Niwas Goel’s remarks on Mr Bharti’s lax attitude.

Mr Bharti, who faced the AAP government’s ire for not turning up to Lok Nayak Hospital in a negligence case, as he did not have a vehicle, will now hold the charge of secretary, environment and forests.

Ever since he was given the additional charge of health secretary, he has been under fire from AAP leadership as they had time and again been opposing his appointment. Recently, health minister Satyendar Jain had publicly called him “inefficient and incompetent.” The entire bureaucracy had opposed Mr Jain’s remarks and passed a resolution stating that decorum has to be maintained while dealing with the officials who work for the government and not any individual.  

Mr Bharti will now hold the charge of secretary, environment and forest in the Delhi government. It was Mr Bharti against whom Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia had complained to former lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung for the delay in issuing the notification banning Chinese manjha in the national capital.

Mr Sisodia had asked the former L-G to take action against Mr Bharti. In the letter written to Mr Jung, Mr Sisodia had said that Mr Bharti had failed to issue the notification before the Independence Day, but the truth is that the environment minister had approved the ban on the Chinese manjha in the national capital on August 5. Mr Sisodia had said, “As the environment secretary did not take action on time, unfortunate accidents took place on the Outer Ring Road.”

He also said, “Accordingly, it is being proposed that the L-G should take necessary disciplinary action against that officer who is insensitive to the safety of the citizens.”