NEW DELHI: The BJP government in Delhi has cancelled 177 political appointments made during the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration across various institutions and committees. The services department, in an official order, has directed all departments to submit fresh proposals for reconstituting these bodies.
“The Competent Authority is pleased to terminate the terms of the nominated non- official office-bearers/members of the non-statutory/statutory bodies, authorities, boards, committees and academies with immediate effect. Further, all the Departments of GNCTD are directed to...submit a suitable proposal for reconstitution of such bodies etc,” the order copy read. The move affects appointments of 177 AAP members across 17 key institutions, including the Delhi Jal Board, Animal Welfare Board, Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board, Teerth Yatra Vikas Samiti, and various cultural academies such as the Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Sanskrit, and Maithili-Bhojpuri Academies.
Many of the removed individuals include current and former AAP legislators and close associates of senior party leaders.
Among those removed are AAP MLA and former Environment Minister Gopal Rai, who was serving as chairperson of the Delhi Agricultural Marketing Board. The government has also revoked the appointments of AAP MLA Pawan Rana as Chairperson of the Delhi Jal Board and MLA Vinay Mishra as its Vice Chairperson.
Preeti Tomar, wife of former AAP minister Jitender Tomar, has also been removed from her position as a member of the board.
In addition, AAP legislator Sanjeev Jha, who held the post of Vice Chairperson of the Maithili Bhojpuri Academy, has been dismissed along with several other political appointees in bodies such as the Delhi Haj Committee and the Punjabi Academy.
The action follows a directive issued earlier this year by Chief Secretary Dharmendra, who had asked departmental heads to compile a list of all non-official appointments made by the previous government reported by this newspaper on Feb 13. The BJP government terminated all co-terminus appointments that were made during the previous AAP administration.