Sisodia rains fury on Jung

New Delhi, Aug 31: The bureaucrats handpicked by Lt Governor Najeeb Jung are neither attending meetings nor listening to their ministers, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today alleged, while putting the onus of water-logging and traffic gridlock across the city on them.

Sisodia along with Delhi Home Minister Satyender Jain also targeted the Prime Minister over the "shunting" out of top bureaucrats and setting up of the LG-constituted panel to examine files, alleging that it was formed at the "behest" of Narendra.

Sisodia's attack on Jung came on a day rains pounded the national capital, crumbling the city's civic infrastructure. The municipal bodies in Delhi are BJP-ruled while Police comes under the Centre.

Venting his fury, Sisodia said that since the appointment of the panel yesterday, Delhi government has had to focus on "appeasing LG's officers" and not the welfare of its residents.

Jung has deployed officials "starting from peons to the Chief Secretary" to scrutinise the files of the last one-and-a-half-years and due to that "three of my meetings had to be cancelled", Sisodia said.

"Why is the LG, who gave over 50 interviews on his officers, not speaking on water-logging and traffic jam in the city? Your officers are neither coming to the meetings called by ministers, nor listening to them.

Few even say that they have been barred to do so. "I request the LG to go out like the ministers, taking along officers appointed by him, and solve the water-logging and traffic woes of the residents," Sisodia said in a series of tweets, promptly shared by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Sisodia also lashed out the BJP-led Centre over the "transfer" of "committed officials", who he said worked tirelessly to implement pro-people policies.

The officials, including the PWD and Health Secretaries, were transferred despite Sisodia's public request to Jung to not do so as they were involved in the execution of AAP's flagship projects like mohalla clinics and construction of 8,000 new classrooms.

"Committed officials who worked tirelessly to implement pro-people policies have been shunted out...LG should make officers of his choice work as well. The Constitution has a chapter on duties apart from rights," Sisodia said.

Interestingly, Chandrakar Bharti, whom the government had blamed for the delay in imposing ban on Chinese Manja in his capacity as Environment Secretary, has been made the Health Secretary.

Yesterday, a three-member panel was formed by Jung to fix responsibilities, including criminal liability, in "omissions and commissions" while clearing 400 files relating to a large number of decisions without his approval.

PTI