162 officials of the Trade and Taxes department in Delhi, including three assistant commissioners, were transferred after Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta discovered 'serious irregularities' during a surprise visit.
The Delhi government is embroiled in multiple litigations with the Lieutenant Governor in the Supreme Court including its plea challenging the Centre's law establishing pre-eminence of the LG over the elected dispensation in controlling services in the national capital.
The Delhi services bill that entails the creation of an authority for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in the national capital and gives the central government primacy over such appointments has received presidential assent.
The ordinance came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government. It seeks to set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers from the DANICS cadre.
However, the bill will have all major provisions of the ordinance, promulgated by the central government on May 19, a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi excluding police, public order and land to the elected government headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday gave its nod to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, which will replace the ordinance promulgated by the Centre on May 19.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday said it will organise a 'maha rally' on June 11 against the Centre's 'black ordinance' that effectively gives the lieutenant governor control over administrative services, negating a Supreme Court order in favour of the Kejriwal dispensation.
The ordinance comes a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in the national capital to the Delhi government, excluding those related to police, public order and land.
Last week, the Enforcement Directorate claimed in a court here that Jain was getting special treatment inside the Tihar Jail.
Locked in a bitter tussle with the Centre over the control of administrative services, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal will meet the chiefs of the Trinamool Congress, Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and the Nationalist Congress Party this week seeking their support.
The Delhi government on Friday moved the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the ordinance on control of services, saying it is an 'unconstitutional exercise of executive fiat' that attempts to 'override' the top court and the basic structure of the Constitution.
Around 200 Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands-cadre officers have threatened to go on mass leave on Thursday in solidarity.
The Delhi services bill which seeks to replace an ordinance that mandated the creation of an authority for transfers and postings of senior officers in the Delhi government is listed for introduction in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
On Thursday, the apex court ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over the administration of services, except for public order, police and land.
Kejriwal said that the ordinance must be defeated collectively in Parliament where it is likely to come up for voting as a law in the forthcoming session.
The Aam Aadmi Party supremo is trying to drum up opposition support over the Delhi government's fight against the Centre over an ordinance on the control of administrative services in the national capital.
The charges of "procedural lapses indicating corruption in land related matters" against the deputy secretary were from his tenure as Narela SDM, they said.
The Supreme Court Monday hinted that it was contemplating referring to a constitution bench for adjudication the Delhi government's petition against the Centre's recent ordinance on control of services.
After a meeting of the AAP's highest decision making body -- political affairs committee (PAC) -- at party national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence in New Delhi, Chadha also welcomed the Congress' decision to oppose in Parliament the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi.
The Congress on Sunday made it clear that it will not support the Centre's ordinance on the control of administrative services in Delhi and will oppose any such attempt of the central government to 'sabotage federalism' in the country.
The purported video of the AAP leader meeting the jail superintendent was shared on social media by some BJP leaders.
The Union home ministry termed the suspension as null and void.
The situation in Manipur and the Delhi services ordinance are set to dominate the Monsoon session of Parliament beginning Thursday with the Opposition gearing up to raise these issues to corner the government.
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday arrested Aam Aadmi Party leader and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on money laundering charges in connection with alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, official sources said.
On Tuesday, Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata as part of their nationwide tour to garner support for the AAP's fight against the Centre's ordinance.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the bill in the Upper House of Parliament. He said the proposed legislation is aimed at providing effective and corruption-free governance in the national capital.
At the meeting, many parties urged the Congress to publicly denounce the ordinance but the Congress refused to do so, claimed AAP, adding that the grand old party's "silence raises suspicions about its real intentions".
Kumar deposed before the federal probe agency in New Delhi and the investigators are recording his statement under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday urged the non-Bharatiya Janata Party entities to unite and defeat in the Rajya Sabha the bill related to the Centre's ordinance on control of services in the national capital.
The Aam Aadmi Party has charged that the ordinance, promulgated Friday night, "overturns" the May 11 apex court order giving the elected government in Delhi the control over services matter. The development has set the stage for an intense confrontation between the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation and the Centre and the Lt Governor.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra said the detailed order referring the case to a larger bench will be uploaded on the apex court website later in the day.
Bharadwaj said it has not rained in Delhi in the last 3-4 days, yet still the water level in Yamuna reached 208.66 metres.
The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which will replace an ordinance promulgated for handling the transfers and postings of senior officers in the city government, was passed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid a walkout by opposition parties.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday met his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal at the latter's residence in New Delhi and extended 'complete support' to him in the Aam Aadmi Party government's ongoing tussle with the Centre over the control of administrative services.
The Centre on Friday brought an ordinance to create for the first time a National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) that will have the power to recommend the transfer and posting of all Group A officers and officers of DANICS serving in Delhi. NCCSA will be headed by the Chief Minister of Delhi, with the Chief Secretary and Principal Home Secretary of Delhi being the other two members.
Amid the ongoing row over appointment of an acting chief secretary.
According to senior officials, nine additional commissioners have been allocated departments and office spaces at different floors of the Civic Centre, while three deputy commissioners were also appointed.
The ongoing row between the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government and the bureaucracy in wake of the Delhi Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash alleging assault comes as no surprise as the two have tussled over a range of issues in the past.
As per an order issued by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Delhi Administrative Subordinate Services Grade-I, II, principal secretary and private secretary will come under the Deputy CM, who will be responsible for their transfer and posting. Minister-in-charge will have a say in transfer and posting of other officials such as stenos.
LG Jung transferred of several senior officials engaged in flagship projects of the government, prompting Kejriwal to accuse the PM of being "hell bent" to "destroy" Delhi.
