IAS association issues statement denying charges officer on ‘strike’; AAP say officers only took part in two activities.
New Delhi: The IAS officers of Delhi and the AAP government, at loggerheads over a number of issues, issued competing statements Tuesday after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and three of his top ministers staged a sit-in at the lieutenant-governor’s (L-G) house.
Kejriwal, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and ministers Gopal Rai and Satyendar Jain spent the night at Raj Niwas, L-G Anil Baijal’s official residence, demanding that he end the “strike” called by officers, and approve the government’s proposal for home delivery of rations. Jain began a hunger strike Tuesday.
The current standoff also has its roots on who is the administrative head of Delhi. The chief minister and his cabinet colleagues allege that the IAS officers in Delhi deliberately ignore the elected representatives on the instructions of the L-G.
In a setback to the AAP government, Delhi High Court ruled in August 2016 that LG was the administrative head of Delhi. The government challenged this ruling in the Supreme Court.
‘No dignity to officers’
The IAS officers have denied the allegations that they are on a “strike”.
“It is unfortunate that the CM and the Ministers are making unwarranted and baseless allegations that IAS officers are on strike,” the statement reads.
In the three-page statement, the IAS AGMUT Association — IAS officers in the Capital are from AGMUT cadre —said the officers have been attending to their offices despite fears for their dignity and safety in the wake of the attack on the chief secretary.
The officers also justify their decision for not attending routine meetings called by the ministers and the chief minister saying, “the reasons being that the CM and Ministers have failed till date to give any assurance regarding safety, security dignity and respect to the officers including women officers”.
“It is a matter of record that the concerned officers have been attending all cabinet meetings, statutory meetings and meetings of importance affecting the public,” the statement adds.
It also blames the ministers for widening the trust deficit between ministers and officers. “There have been instances where officers have attended the meeting of a minister, but what the minister has subsequently recorded on file is totally contrary to what transpired during the meeting, thereby further widening the trust deficit in relation to the Political Executive,” the statement alleges.
Officers not admitting to strike as aware of rules
The Delhi government was quick to counter the officers, issuing its statement saying the officers were trying to justify the “strike” without admitting to it, as they were aware that under the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964, this could lead to their dismissal from the service.
“The association could cite just two examples of formality works in the last four months — the Budget and Assembly Questions. This is itself proof of the fact that IAS officers had participated in just two activities in the last four months,” the AAP government said.