As the tug of war between Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi govt and L-G Najeeb Jung continues, governance has taken a back seat. As the tug of war between Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi govt and L-G Najeeb Jung continues, governance has taken a back seat.

Delhi's bureaucracy has started feeling the heat of the power struggle between Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung. Caught in the crossfire of the two power centres, at least 20 senior officers are lobbying to get out of Delhi administration.

As the conflict between the L-G and the chief minister intensifies each passing day, the bureaucrats of all ranks are facing a tough time in the discharge of their assigned duties. A number of senior IAS officers are seeking central deputation or assignments in other states.

These include 14 officers who have faced the wrath of Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government in the three months of its rule. "The political leadership is being harsh on the bureaucracy and lowering the morale of officers," a senior officer told MAIL TODAY.

The Kejriwal-Jung tussle has scared the officers to the extent that even those currently posted outside the Capital are reluctant to join the Delhi Government, which was otherwise a preferred choice for most officers. "Such political conflicts affect the morale of officers. Never has the city witnessed such bitter dispute between the Delhi government and Raj Niwas," a senior IAS officer posted outside Delhi said.

Another senior IAS officer Amitabh Kant, currently the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) secretary, tweeted from his personal handle: "Thank God I am not posted with Delhi government. Imagine the plight of officers. Rooms getting locked without notice. Will lead to collapse of morale."

While it's clearly a case of humiliation for senior officers, the younger ones too are getting demoralised. "This will have a direct bearing on governance in Delhi as the officers will hesitate in taking decisions," said an IAS officer on the condition of anonymity because he feared reprisal if he stayed back in the Capital. "Several officers have been seeking a transfer out of Delhi," he added.

In a new twist to the tussle between the Delhi government and Jung, Kejriwal has directed his ministers not to follow any order coming from the L-G's office. Also, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia said that the Lt Governor's direction cannot be complied with as it was against the provisions of law and Constitution.

In a letter to the Delhi Lt Governor, Sisodia also said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would write a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue. "Your (L-G's) directions are against the provisions of law and Constitution and therefore cannot be complied with. However, Chief Minister is also writing a letter to PM separately in this regard," the Deputy CM wrote in his letter.

As the tug of war continues, governance in Delhi has taken a back seat. The bureaucratic heads of almost all major departments, including those related to revenue departments, have been targeted by the government in the recent past. These include Chief Secretary K.K. Sharma, Principal Secretary (Home) Dharampal, VAT Commissioner Sanjeev Khirwar and Excise Commissioner Neeraj Semwal.

Acting Chief Secretary Shakuntala Gamlin has also been openly targeted by the government and a question mark has been put on the integrity of some officers. A Delhi government officer said no concrete work had been undertaken during the three-month rule of AAP in Delhi.

"Major infrastructure projects are progressing at a slow pace. Major policy decisions pertaining to revenue are awaiting the government's clearance. This will affect the financial health of the government as it will slow down infrastructural growth," officials pointed out.

Government sources said some senior IAS officers like Parimal Rai, S.P. Singh, Sandeep Gulati, A.K. Gupta, O.P. Mishra, Anindo Majumdar and Ashutosh Kumar have been put on compulsory wait and not given postings.

Earlier, 1984-batch officer Arvind Ray was removed as Principal Secretary (Home) by Kejriwal as the chief minister did not like his style of functioning. Kejriwal also issued a circular and asked officers to apply for the posts of VAT and Excise Commissioners with a blueprint to increase revenue collection. The move was seen as an attempt to create a divide between the serving officers and the aspirants as also questioning the efficacy of the incumbent commissioners.

Similarly, Ashish Joshi was unceremoniously moved out of the Delhi Dialogue Commission while the image of Parimal Rai was also dented in the entire episode regarding the appointment of the Acting Chief Secretary in Delhi.

The government, on the other hand, sought to justify its actions against the officers. A Delhi Government spokesperson said it was the prerogative of the government to assign work to bureaucrats. "The transfer and posting of IAS officers in UT cadre is done by the Home Ministry but it is the prerogative of the council of ministers to assign work to Delhi Government officers," he maintained.