Delhi: Government to crack whip on erring officials

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government, which has had frequent run-ins with the L-G and the Centre, is now looking at House committees to summon erring officers to make them “more accountable” for any laxity in work.

According to party sources, the “new tactic” was adopted after the Delhi House panel on desilting of drains recently recommended divesting senior IAS officer Ashwani Kumar of his responsibilities as Public Works Department (PWD) and vigilance secretary and called for a probe to fix responsibility for “fraudulent payments” made to contractors.

The Petitions Committee had asked chief secretary M.M. Kutty to submit an action taken report to the House within a month.

A party leader said after being “pinioned” by the lieutenant-governor and the Centre, the AAP has decided to take the help of House committees to make its officers accountable.

He also pointed out that the Delhi high court’s order last year which stamped lieutenant-governor’s primacy as the administrative head of the national capital had made the case more difficult for the Arvind Kejriwal government.

“Officers do not comply with several orders given by the AAP ministers, making their accountability towards an elected government almost nil. The power of the Delhi Assembly is similar to ones of Parliament and so are the powers of the House committees. If the chief secretary does not take any action against the PWD secretary, he will be answerable to the House,” the AAP leader said.

The ruling AAP has been using the Delhi Legislative to moot important Cabinet decisions. Recently, Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel had sentenced two men to 30 days imprisonment for creating ruckus in the House.