Chief Secy holds 1st meeting of all dept heads

New Delhi: Newly appointed Delhi Chief Secretary Dharmendra on Thursday held a first meeting with heads of all government departments to discuss a range of issues pertaining to administration and governance concerning the national capital.

The 1989 batch IAS officer, who was earlier posted as Arunachal Pradesh chief secretary, took charge as the chief secretary of the national Capital on September 1.

Soon after taking charge, he left for Arunachal Pradesh to hand over his charge of chief secretary of the state. Dharmendra, who goes by first name, also interacted with the staff of his office, an official said. His appointment assumes significance ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections likely to be held early next year.

His predecessor Naresh Kumar had been at loggerheads with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dispensation over a range of issues including administrative matters and control over bureaucracy that come under the Lt Governor.

In the absence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is currently under judicial custody, the chief secretary has to serve as a link between the AAP dispensation and the L-G secretariat. The chief secretary has to deal with important issues, including meetings of National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA) that is responsible for posting of senior officers in the government, complaints of AAP government ministers related to release of funds, shortage of medicines and staff at hospitals and dispensaries.

His immediate challenge will be to restore a comfortable, working relations between the ruling dispensation and the bureaucracy that have been involved in a tussle on different issues.

The AAP ministers have often accused the officers of insubordination and doing the bidding of the L-G at the expense of the elected government.

As an Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre IAS officer, Dharmendra during his previous stint in the Delhi government served as secretary in the revenue; irrigation and flood control; and industries departments.

He was the chairman of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) before being transferred to Arunachal Pradesh in April 2022.