SC to constitute bench to hear AAP govt plea on transfer of Delhi services secretary

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to constitute a bench next week to hear the Delhi government’s plea relating to the removal of the secretary of the Delhi government’s Services Department.

A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha said it will constitute a bench to hear the matter next week after senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Delhi’s AAP-led government, mentioned the matter.

After the top court’s verdict on Thursday (May 11) that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over the administration of services except for public order, police and land, the AAP government removed Ashish More, Secretary of the Delhi government’s Services Department, from his post. More will be replaced by former Delhi Jal Board CEO A K Singh, a 1995-batch (AGMUT cadre) IAS officer.

The Delhi government has now alleged that the Centre is not initiating the transfer of its services secretary. Singhvi, mentioning the matter before the bench, said the Supreme Court delivered the judgment on Thursday and now there can be contempt.

A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by the CJI, on Thursday gave a unanimous verdict, putting an end to the eight-year tussle between the Centre and the Delhi government and held that the Delhi government has “legislative and executive power over services” in the national capital, including bureaucrats, except those relating to public order, police and land.

The verdict of the apex court came on the tussle between Delhi and Central government on the contentious issue of who should control administrative services in Delhi over the transfers and postings of officers in the national capital.
Governance of the national capital has witnessed a power struggle between the Centre and the Delhi government since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in 2014. (ANI)