NEW DELHI: The authority to sanction leaves of Delhi government officials should be vested with their minister concerned and not the Lieutenant Governor, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said today.
Sisodia, who holds multiple portfolios including the crucial finance ministry, has written to LG Anil Baijal and said the functioning of the Delhi government has almost "crippled" these days as several officers were granted leave by him.
"You (LG) have given leave to many officers of Delhi government due to which the government's works have severely been affected and the government has been crippled almost.
"In my finance department, the leaves of both the principal secretary and the secretary have been approved for the same time period. Works have been affected in the finance department," Sisodia said in the letter.
He said besides the education director, the chief secretary was also on leave, which has been affecting the functioning of entire Delhi government.
"The situation is such today that the minister suddenly gets to know that you (LG) have given leave to his officer when he reaches office. The entire work of minister and his department suddenly come to a halt.
"I again request you that the concerned minister should have power to grant leave of his officers and not the Lt Governor," the deputy chief minister said.
Being the administrative head of the national capital as per the August 2016 High Court order, services matter directly come under the LG's ambit. The Delhi government has challenged the high court's order in the Supreme Court.
In the past, the Arvind Kejriwal government and the LG office have been at loggerheads on various issued including the transfer and posting of bureaucrats.
Kejriwal and Sisodia have on several occasions earlier said that they don't have the power to appoint even their peon.