Lieutenant Governor clears air over VAT commissioner’s transfer

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung refuted all the charges that the Delhi Chief Minister and his colleagues levied on him regarding the transfer of the previous VAT commissioner and appointment of new VAT commissioner. 

“The fact is that the LG Secretariat received orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India on October 9, 2015 with instructions that five officers who have been under orders of transfer from Delhi to other Union Territories since April and July 2015 and who have not been relieved by the GNCTD, may be relieved with immediate effect with the direction to join the new place of posting immediately. Vijay Kumar’s name figured amongst these five officers. Accordingly, orders to relieve these five officers so mentioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs were issued by the LG’s Secretariat on 12 October 2015,” said a press statement from LG Secretariat on Friday evening. Clarifying its stand on transfer of Kumar out of Delhi, the LG Secretariat further stated, “Transfers of officers to be posted out of Delhi is the exclusive domain of the Ministry of Home Affairs and at times the LG’s secretariat is asked to issue relieving orders when the transfer order issued by Ministry of Home Affairs are not implemented by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi. Upon relieving Kumar the LG has requested Delhi Chief Minister for a suitable name commensurate to the seniority of the post of commissioner, VAT,” he added.

The press statement further clarified that there has never been any recommendation from the LG to the Ministry of Home Affairs requesting for transfer of any of these officers, either now or before.