CM defers NCCSA meeting

New Delhi: Citing a bill pending in Parliament to replace an ordinance on Delhi’s services matters, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal deferred the National Capital Civil Services Authority meeting scheduled for Friday evening, the fifth postponement, with the panel secretary saying it would affect the city’s administration.

A note from the Delhi Chief Minister’s Office to the secretary of the NCCSA and Principal Secretary (Home) Ashwini Kumar said the meeting of the panel scheduled at 5 PM has been postponed.

“Hon’ble Chief Minister! Chairperson NCCSA, has observed that the Union Cabinet, in its meeting held on 25th July, 2023, had replaced the Ordinance with a Bill. The Bill is likely to be presented in Parliament on Monday, 31.07.2023, as per media reports. Though technically the Ordinance is still in vogue, it would be proper to wait for the new Bill to be passed in the Parliament and work according to that,” read the CMO note.

Kumar responded to the communication, saying the administration cannot be “left to come to standstill” at a time when the city deals with floods in the Yamuna river and prepares to host the forthcoming G-20 Summit as well as linked events. Citing various rules, the NCCSA secretary proposed that the meeting may take place as scheduled. However, the meeting was not held, officials confirmed.

The NCCSA secretary said the regular working of the panel is a must to ensure both the deployment of officers joining the Delhi government from other places of the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre and fill up posts vacated by retired officers.

“The NCCSA cannot be made defunct and non-workable lest it may result in mal-administration...,” Kumar said, citing pending matters, including the postings of officers transferred to Delhi, transfer of officers on sensitive posts, disciplinary action against officers held responsible for payments related to advertisements “in favour” of the ruling AAP, and action against some DJB engineers for the demolition of a ‘listed heritage monument’ at Kilokari.

The NCCSA secretary said the last meeting of the authority was held on June 29, and since then it has been postponed four times by the chief minister, before the latest cancellation, without giving any fresh date.

He also cited Section 45F of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, inserted through the GNCTD (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, to affirm that the NCCSA secretary with approval of the chairman of the authority may decide the time and place of its meeting. The quorum of such meeting will be two members.

Meanwhile, Delhi government sources slammed Ashwini Kumar for the “language of letter written by him”, saying it was discourteous and amounts to open rebellion.

“Can one imagine any officer writing such a letter to the CM of any full state? Can the home secretary write a similar letter to LG? This is not an isolated incident. There are numerous incidents happening everyday in Delhi government wherein the officers are openly defying ministers’ orders.”

The ordinance has caused an open rebellion in Delhi govt against the elected govt, it said.

The NCCSA was constituted in May through the Centre’s ordinance to nullify a Supreme Court verdict giving the elected dispensation in Delhi the control over services matter.