Sisodia, Baijal spar over file on teachers training

Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has written to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, seeking action against education department officials who he alleged were sending files to the L-G office without consulting him.
Baijal, however, wrote back to Sisodia, seeking to know who has given this impression to the deputy chief minister that his office has given instructions not to show any file concerning teachers to the minister-in-charge.
Sisodia is irked by the move of Directorate of Education (DoE) officials and Chief Secretary sending the file to L-G Office with a detailed plan of a visit of principals and teacher educators to Finland for training.

The Minister alleged that the officers have been "killing democracy" on the "directions" of the L-G office by not consulting him before sending the file.
"The file is an example of how the spirit of democracy is being killed and elected government of Delhi is being kept in the dark by its officers on directions of the L-G office," Sisodia said in the letter to Baijal.
"Whenever I speak to any officers from the department, I am told that they have been given instructions by the office of the L-G that any files related to teachers or principals training shall not be shown to the minister-in-charge. If this is the case, then it is impossible for me to run the department," he wrote.

Sisodia has demanded that before proceeding on the subject matter of the training programme file, the officers should be "show-caused that why they have not sent the file to education minister before sending it for L-G's concurrence".

"Strict action should also be taken against such officers, who are insulting democracy by deliberately keeping the elected government in the dark about routine functions of department," the letter read.
"I would urge the L-G to fix responsibility and take action against the concerned officers in this case," it said.
The L-G office, in a statement said, the Lieutenant Governor mentioned that his office has only issued the standing order dated September 15 to regulate the transaction and disposal of the business relating to executive functions pertaining to his office.

It also stated that the Lt Governor also expressed his surprise that despite the matter having been clarified earlier, this issue has again been raised and that too on a file which the L-G has himself referred to the Deputy chief minister for his comments.
"L-G further noted that the Deputy CM has not given any comments on the proposal. Nevertheless, LG stated that as the improvement of quality of education is a shared concern, the proposal of the department for training of teachers/HoS/ Principals is concurred to avoid any further loss of time in its implementation unless deputy chief minister has any different views," it stated.

Sisodia, on several occasions earlier, had also claimed that officers are not showing files to him on the directions of the Lieutenant Governor.