Min writes to MHA on ‘conduct’ of chief secy
The officials said Saurabh Bharadwaj has demanded the Union home ministry to take appropriate action against the chief secretary
Delhi urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday wrote to the ministry of home affairs regarding the “questionable conduct of chief secretary Naresh Kumar”, and said that the officer did not provide him the details of desilting of drains to him despite being asked to share it by May 27, officials aware of the matter said.
The officials said the minister has demanded the Union home ministry to take appropriate action against the chief secretary. According to the amended GNCTD Act, transfer and posting of officials comes under the domain of the lieutenant governor who reports to the home ministry.
Citing the letter, the officials said that when the minister wrote to chief secretary Naresh Kumar, asking him to furnish the information, the senior official responded in a note on June 5 in an “offensive language”.
HT reached out to Kumar who did not respond to queries seeking comments.
The officials said that Bharadwaj has told the Centre that Kumar did not give the information within the stipulated time, and cited the model code of conduct for elections as excuse
“…Naresh Kumar is again trying to make a futile excuse of model code of conduct, whereby it is well understood that there is no bar on asking for reports from departments even when model code of conduct is in force. Needless to say that the undersigned has the knowledge of meetings held in April, 2024(while the model code of conduct was in force between the chief secretary and the RWA members of colonies in South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency in the presence of Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, who at that time was the leader of the opposition as well as the BJP candidate for the seat,” Bharadwaj has said in the letter, the officials said.
South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said no law bars a leader of the opposition from meeting the chief secretary, ministers or chief minister when the model code of conduct is in force. “The AAP ministers also kept meeting the chief minister during the polls. The code of conduct was imposed on March 16 and the AAP continued the Delhi assembly session till April 8. The AAP has a habit of raising baseless and non-consequential issues,” said Bidhuri.
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