Bureaucrats defying us openly: Govt

CM says GNCTD Amendment Act will ‘ruin’ capital, must be struck down at the earliest

- ANUP VERMA

AAM Aadmi Party leaders including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal slammed the GNCTD (Amendment) Act, 2023, as a licence for the bureaucrats to “openly rebel” against the orders of an elected government and defy ministers’ directions.

The sharp reaction came just after services minister Atishi told a press conference that the principal secretary (finance) A C Verma refused to comply with her direction to depute a lawyer to file a petition in the Supreme Court challenging a High Court order against the Delhi government in a matter related to GST refund.

Citing Atishi’s allegations that after the chief secretary, the finance secretary has also refused to obey the order of the elected government, the chief minister said the Services Act (GNCTD, Amendment, Act, 2023) will “ruin” Delhi.

“Delhi Services Act gives license to officers to openly rebel against written orders of elected govt. And officers have started refusing to obey orders of elected Ministers. Can any state or country or institution run like this? This Act will ruin Delhi (and) this is what BJP wants. Act needs to be struck down as soon as possible,” Kejriwal posted on X.