Centre files affidavit in SC; denies Manish Sisodia's 'officials don't cooperate' claim

After Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia claimed that officials weren't cooperating with the AAP government, the Centre strongly refuted this assertion. Responding to the AAP leader's allegations in an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on December 4, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla expressed surprise at the fact that incidents of 2021-22 were being highlighted on the eve of the hearing by the Constitution bench. This bench is hearing a dispute between the AAP government and the Centre regarding the control over administrative services in Delhi.

The senior bureaucrat asserted, "I have verified from all senior-level officials of GNCTD about non-receipt of telecalls etc. and I have found that no such incidents have ever happened. It is submitted that all officials attend all meetings except on some occasions. On enquiry, I have learnt that the dates on which some officers could not attend the meeting were on dates on which they were officially assigned some other duties by the Delhi government itself." 

The affidavit added, "I state and submit that the administration of any unit of the administration be it Central government, state government or Union Territory requires a very skilled coordination between the political executives and persons working in connection with the affairs of the respective unit. Such coordination takes place by effective administrative skills and not with the threat of control over the officers or employees. The very fact that right from 1993, the system has worked very smoothly is testimony of this fact."

Manish Sisodia moves SC

Amid AAP's feud with Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, Manish Sisodia filed an additional affidavit before the SC in November. He complained that the governance in the national capital has been compromised after VK Saxena was appointed as the LG. According to him, any cooperation between civil servants and the elected government is sought to be penalized. He further added that bureaucrats do not attend meetings, do not take calls from Ministers, and disobey their orders. Sisodia is under the scanner in the Delhi liquor scam. 

Sisodia levelled these allegations:

• Officials have stopped attending meetings being called by the Ministers
• Officials have stopped taking calls of the Ministers
• Officials are either delaying or not at all supplying the files concerning the departments to the Ministers
• Officials are disobeying orders/directions of the Ministers including orders/directions that are in writing
• Frequent transfer of heads of various departments have left large gaps in policy implementation of the government
• There are a large number of vacancies in different posts in the Government of NCT of Delhi as those responsible for making the appointments are not at all accountable to the public for not making the appointments