Sisodia claims AAP govt stopped 'transfer-posting' business

The Delhi deputy CM takes a dig at retired IAS officials

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday said “transfer-posting” was a lucrative business in the capital before the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government put a stop to it, ruffling a few feathers.

Senior bureaucrats have complained of being demoralised and of bearing the brunt of the tussle between Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and the AAP government over the posting and transfer officers.

On Twitter, Sisodia lashed out at bureaucrats and said: “Officers who were running ‘transfer-posting industry’ in past governments are now talking about motivating IAS officers after retirement.”

On Wednesday, Delhi IAS Officers’ Association had held a meeting and issued a release, expressing “anguish” over the way senior officers were being treating because of the tussle between Jung and the government. Shakuntala Gamlin and Anindo Majumdar — officers caught in the eye of the struggle — attended the meeting.

Sisodia on Thursday, said, “All the transfers we have done are on the basis of eligibility and have been carried out with full honesty. This is why people are opposing us. Crores (of rupees) were made through the ‘transfer-posting industry’ in Delhi.” In a series of tweets, he said, “Each government official is working with full energy along with the chief minister and other ministers. Their morale is high but officers who misuse their post are demoralised. It is very interesting. In Delhi, ‘transfer-posting’ is a big industry and we have stopped it in last three months.”

The fusillade from the AAP government was bolstered by party leader Ashutosh as well, who took to Twitter, to lambast the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre.

“Why MODI govt wants to keep transfer/Posting with itself through LG? Because it’s a million-dollar industry & major source of corruption. Ask anybody in Delhi and people will tell you that BJP led MCD is the most corrupt body. AAP has stopped bribe in transfer/posting. [sic]”

The tussle, however, shows no sign of subsiding.

On Wednesday, in yet another letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Jung said all the appointments made by the government without his approval in the past four days were invalid, insisting that he was the sole authority for ordering transfer and posting of bureaucrats.

In reply, Kejriwal asked Jung to elaborate the provisions in the Constitution, The Government Of National Capital Territory Of Delhi Act and Transaction of Business Rules that give him such powers.