NEW DELHI: A day after the Services Department said the L-G’s prior approval was needed for the appointment of advisors/consultants in various departments, autonomous bodies and PSUs, the Delhi Assembly Secretariat on Thursday issued an order discontinuing the engagement of 116 fellows under the Delhi Assembly Research Centre (DARC) only to keep it in abeyance hours later, following the intervention of Speaker Ram Niwas Goel.
Earlier in the day, CM Arvind Kejriwal said government functioning would be “completely strangulated” by the new L-G order that stopped the engagement of hundreds of advisors/fellows without his approval.
“I don’t know what Hon’ble LG achieves by doing all this. I hope the Supreme Court immediately quashes it,” Kejriwal tweeted.
The Assembly Secretariat initially issued an order saying the “engagement of fellows and associate fellows (media) under Delhi Assembly Research Centre in Delhi Legislative Assembly is hereby discontinued with immediate effect.” The move is likely to affect 45 fellows, nine associate fellows (media) and 62 associate fellows.
However, it issued another order hours later. “The order... regarding discontinuation of engagement of fellows/associate fellows/associate fellows (media) is hereby kept in abeyance till further orders,” Goel told news agency PTI that his intervention led to the order being stayed as he was consulted on the matter in the first place. Meanwhile, the Finance Department said all pay and accounts officers have been directed to ensure not to release salary in respect of persons engaged as fellows/associate fellows/advisors/Dy advisors/specialists/senior research officers/consultants where the approval of L-G has not been taken.
It also said all the pay and accounts officers are directed to comply with the instructions, failing which action may be initiated against officers for violating the constitutional provisions on the reservation.
L-G V K Saxena recently terminated the services of around 437 people appointed by the Kejriwal government in as many as 18 departments, autonomous bodies, PSUs and corporations, saying he wasn’t consulted.
SPEAKER STEPS IN TO MAKE U-TURN
The Assembly Secretariat initially issued an order saying the engagement of fellows associate fellows (media) under the Delhi Assembly Research Centre has been discontinued with immediate effect. But hours later, the Speaker issued another order keeping the earlier one in abeyance
‘Completely strangulated’
CM Arvind Kejriwal said his government’s functioning would be “completely strangulated” by the L-G order that stopped the engagement of hundreds of advisors/fellows. “I don’t know what Hon’ble LG achieves by doing all this. I hope the Supreme Court immediately quashes it,” Kejriwal tweeted.