Yet another top city bureaucrat is proceeding on long leave reportedly in protest against his minister’s decision to curtail his powers. This time, city health secretary Amar Nath has applied for two-month leave as he is said to be upset over the “functioning” of his minister Satyendar Jain. Prior to Mr Amar Nath, principal secretary (power) Shakuntala D. Gamlin and principal secretary (urban development) Chetan B. Sanghi went on long leave as they too were unhappy over the treatment being meted out to them by the AAP government.
A highly-placed source said Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain had recently directed officials to put up files directly before him. The minister, through his signed order, 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 city 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 the government departments. The ministers, at best, can issue instructions to them.
However, Mr Jain had reportedly issued similar orders to industries and home departments as well. As far as home department is concerned, it comes under the purview of the Union government through the lieutenant-governor.
It is not only orders curtailing administrative powers of senior IAS officers that have reportedly not gone well with the city health secretary, Mr Jain had earlier assigned the job of senior bureaucrats to two doctors. He had appointed Dr Ashish Goyal (orthopaedics) of the Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital and Dr P.K. Malik, assistant medical superintendent of the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, as additional secretaries in the city administration’s health and family welfare department.
In connection with putting up of files by senior bureaucrats, Mr Jain had ordered the principal secretary /secretary (health and family welfare) should only 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 matters, 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.”
A senior officer said that by issuing the order, the health minister had directly infringed on the administrative territory of the secretary or principal secretary of the department.
He said that the minister in-charge cannot issue any order directing his officials to bypass secretary /principal secretary or heads of departments as the secretary is the administrative head of a department.
