Got you in my grip: Jung to Kejriwal.

Delhi Jung on AAP: Modi out to destroy Delhi, using LG to stop all good work: Kejriwal

After transferring two key secys, Jung panel to study 400 AAP govt files

Prashun Bhaumik | New Delhi | 30 August, 2016 | 07:50 PM

Lt Governor Najeeb Jung has set up a three-member panel to study irregularities in over 400 files of the Delhi government an act which Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called simply "witch hunting".

On August 4, the Delhi High Court had called for a review of cases where prior approval of Jung was needed under rules but was not obtained by the Delhi government.

The three-member team set up on Tuesday is made up of V.K. Shunglu, a former Comptroller and Auditor General, N. Gopalaswami, a former Chief Election Commissioner, and Pradeep Kumar, a former Chief Vigilance Commissioner.

The committee has been told to submit its interim reports and recommendations from time to time and to submit the final report within six weeks of the first meeting.

“The three-member committee is an independent committee of eminent persons who have been in public life for several decades and have held high positions in the government with supreme integrity and absolute probity,” a statement from the Lt Governor said.

In response to the high court judgement, about 400 files had been received from the Delhi government for Jung’s approval.

“On preliminary scrutiny of these files, it is found that over the last one and half years several decisions taken are in violation of Acts/Rules with attendant legal and financial implications.

“It has become necessary to examine them in depth and suggest forward action. Therefore, the committee has been constituted,” the release added.

The committee shall broadly determine whether the decisions taken in these files and the processes adopted were in violation of the acts and rules as well as the constitutional scheme for governance of Delhi.

The committee will also examine the role played by public functionaries and officers of Delhi and any other individual related to these violations and fix responsibility.

The committee may also recommend appropriate administrative, criminal or civil action as well as action for recovery of financial loss to government exchequer, if any, by such wrong decisions against the public functionaries, officers or individuals concerned.

The committee has also been asked to recommend a course of action to be taken on each of the files including whether the decisions can or cannot be regularized by the Lt Governor.

Kejriwal tweeted: “This is witch hunting. Like they arrested (AAP) MLAs in false cases, they will victimize officers now.

“Let an independent three-member committee scrutinize all files cleared by Modiji also and let’s compare the results.”
Upset after two key bureaucrats in Delhi was transferred, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “hell bent” on “destroying” the capital through the Lt Governor.

Kejriwal reacted after Lt Governor Najeeb Jung suddenly transferred Delhi’s Health Secretary Tarun Sen and PWD Secretary Sarvagya Srivastava on Tuesday.

The transferred officials were looking after the work of building Mohalla Clinics across the city as well as the job of building classrooms in government schools.

“Today, several officers transferred by LG directly. Files not even shown to CM or any minister. Is this Modi model of democracy?” Kejriwal tweeted.

“Modiji is hell bent on destroying Delhi through LG,” he added.

He added that Jung had rejected Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s multiple requests not to transfer these officials till March 31.

Health and PWD Minister Satyendra Jain told the media separately: “LG is hell bent on stopping every work of the Delhi government.

“We had requested him not to transfer the two secretaries till March 31 as they were involved in developing Mohalla Clinics and classrooms in schools.

“They were doing good work but to no avail,” Jain told the media here. (IANS)