Meeting speaker and senior Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) chief Vijender Gupta on Thursday wrote to the Delhi chief secretary, complaining that authorities officers had been ignoring calls and messages from MLAs, calling the difficulty “serious.” He urged chief secretary Dharmendra to “sensitise” bureaucrats in regards to the protocols they have to comply with when coping with elected representatives.
Delhi Meeting Speaker Vijender Gupta. (PTI)
The letter sparked a contemporary political row, with the Aam Aadmi Celebration (AAP) utilizing it to accuse the BJP of hypocrisy, mentioning that for a decade, AAP ministers had confronted related points however had been met with silence from the BJP. Whereas AAP leaders had often accused officers of siding with the central authorities to undermine their authority, BJP MLAs now discover themselves at odds with the identical bureaucratic equipment.
Gupta’s letter, dated March 19, a replica of which has been seen by HT, states: “A few instances have been brought to my notice where the communications of the Hon’ble Members in the form of letters, phone calls, or messages have not even been acknowledged by the concerned officer. This is a serious matter, and I think there is an urgent need to reiterate the government instructions issued in this regard by the general administration department, Government of NCT of Delhi, and the department of personnel and training, Government of India, from time to time.”
Guidelines outlined in 2020 by the Delhi authorities’s common administration division require officers to “promptly acknowledge” and “respond” to letters or communications from MPs and MLAs. Officers should not ignore calls or messages from legislators and will contact them on the earliest alternative. The foundations additionally mandate that authorities servants present courtesy and consideration to elected representatives. Any violation, if confirmed via due inquiry, can lead to disciplinary motion.
Gupta requested the chief secretary to make sure that all administrative secretaries, division heads, the Delhi Police, and the Delhi Growth Authority (DDA) adjust to these tips. “Action taken in this regard may be intimated to me at the earliest,” he wrote.
Three BJP MLAs informed HT that some officers of their constituencies “routinely ignore” their calls and messages.
“The people have elected me to serve them. If officers refuse to take my calls or return them promptly, how will I address public grievances? Every day, hundreds of residents approach us with issues related to water, education, health, roads, and sewer lines, for which we need to coordinate with the concerned officials. I raised this matter with the Delhi Assembly Speaker, and I’m glad he has taken it up with the chief secretary,” mentioned a BJP MLA, who requested not be recognized.
One other BJP MLA mentioned the dearth of responsiveness from officers immediately impacts their accountability. “If an officer does not take my call and resolve public complaints, it is the MLA who gets blamed. We are here to serve the people to the best of our abilities,” the MLA, who additionally requested to stay nameless, mentioned.
The AAP, nevertheless, was fast to show the BJP’s complaints again on them.
Former Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj took to X: “For 10 years, Delhi officials were taught not to listen to ministers and MLAs, not to pick up their calls, and not to respond to their letters. Those who used to give AAP unsolicited advice on governance are now facing the same treatment. Now that the BJP is in power, they finally understand what we went through. The same BJP that once shielded these officers is now trying to teach them their duties. They have realised that weakening democracy only harms the country and its people.”
A Delhi minister, who additionally requested anonymity, countered the AAP’s accusations, saying AAP MLAs had struggled with uncooperative officers as a result of they tried to “force them into wrongdoing”. “Most officers are cooperating with ministers and MLAs, and those who haven’t will improve because they know this government’s intention is to serve the people with honesty and transparency,” the minister mentioned.
HT’s request for remark to the chief secretary went unanswered until the time of going to print.