'Act Against Officers Responsible For Deaths Of Common Man,' Delhi Minister To LG

Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi on Sunday urged Lt Governor V K Saxena to take action against officers whose negligence led to the deaths of two men in separate incidents in Harsh Vihar and LNJP Hospital.
     
In her letter to the LG, Atishi also said that he is empowered to do so under the Centre's ordinance on control of services.
     
"I would like to tell you until the court's decision on this black ordinance does not come, you should take immediate action against these careless officers. It is because of their negligence that two lives came to an end.
     
"You should break your silence and take action immediately, otherwise the people of Delhi will keep facing trouble like this," she said.  
     
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva called the letter "nothing but an effort to divert public attention from Arvind Kejriwal government's failures, more so her own PWD's failure."
     
Atishi accused the LG of maintaining a "silence" on the issue, and argued that an elected government must have the power to transfer and suspend officers.  
     
"Services in Delhi have been in the hands of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi for the last eight years. But no action has been taken against any officer for wrongdoing or negligence. Years of inaction by the LG against negligent and corrupt officers is why today such incidents are happening," she alleged.  
     
Ajit Sharma, 51, was returning home after dropping a passenger in east Delhi's Bhajanpura on Friday when his auto-rickshaw got stuck in a ditch filled with rainwater near Wazirabad. When he got out to push the vehicle, he fell in the ditch and drowned.
     
A labourer was electrocuted at an under-construction building here on Sunday, officials said.
     
"Despite these incidents, you are sitting silently. It has been two days since an auto-rickshaw driver lost his life due to the negligence of officers, but you have neither taken any action nor have had the courage to say anything on this matter," said the PWD Minister.
     
The Delhi government on Friday moved the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the ordinance on control of services, calling it an "unconstitutional exercise of executive fiat" which attempts to "override" the top court and the basic structure of the Constitution.
     
The Delhi government has also sought an interim stay on it till the final verdict arrives.
     
The Centre had on May 19 promulgated the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, to create an authority for transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi.
    
The ordinance, which 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, has led to the setting up of a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers.
     
Meanwhile, Sachdeva said if Atishi knows which PWD officials are responsible for the two deaths then instead of writing "politically mischievous letters" she should recommend suspension of responsible officials to the PWD Secretary.