NEW DELHI: The tussle over the appointment of private individuals as fellows and associate fellows is the recent flashpoint between the L-G and the city government. Caught in the whirlpool are the fellows who play a key role, often paid a pittance, in implementing schemes of the government on the ground, and helping the administration to make policy decisions.
The contradictory orders issued by the Legislative Assembly and the finance department on Thursday have left them in the lurch with no clarity on their engagement and remuneration for the work they have already completed. Prompted by the L-G’s order to terminate the services of advisors, consultants and fellows in government departments over the alleged absence of his approval, the Delhi Assembly first ordered the disengagement of all 116 fellows and associate fellows engaged under the Delhi Assembly Research Centre (DARC) fellowship. Then, within hours, the Assembly Secretariat issued another order putting the first decision on hold citing Speaker Ram Niwas Goel’s instruction.
The finance department, too, issued an order instructing all accounts officers not to release the salary of fellows. The move has rattled the DARC fellows. Speaking to this newspaper, many of them called the move unjust. They also expressed their inability to continue with the engagement. The fellows who are a few months away from completing their fellowship said if the termination order is reissued, their work will be cancelled.
"The allegations behind our termination were given that some of the private persons engaged with government departments, and the assembly, were given back-door entry for respective posts, without complying to reservation norms while some manipulated their records during recruitment. I can say in my personal capacity that we (fellows) go through a rigorous scrutiny process. Our posts were advertised and we made it through after three rounds of shortlisting. All our attested documents were verified before we joined. So if there's an anomaly, then its onus is on the respective institution. Rather than terminating the whole batch, cross-verification should have been done. What actually happened is shocking. It's unacceptable and goes against the principle of natural justice," said Ashish Kumar, a DARC fellow, who will be completing the programme in August.
“We are not party workers. Why make us scapegoats for politics" he asked.
The DARK fellowship has 140 candidates – 90 associate fellows and 50 fellows who are engaged with 15 departments for two years. Assignments require fellows to contribute in a variety of roles such as background preparation for an ambitious reform, and project management to fast-track priority projects for feedback to ministers.
Swati Dey, another DARK fellow, said her termination would lead to the cancellation of projects under her. “Termination will cancel everything. I was deployed in a constituency where there was no Mohalla Clinic. Now, one is established, another is ready and three more are under process. There will be nothing to prove that my work made an impact,” she said.
