Centre-state stalemate over Ramesh Negi as Delhi's chief secretary

NEW DELHI: The issue of appointment of Delhi's chief secretary has put Centre's relations with the AAP government under strain. DM Spolia is set to retire as CS on Friday but chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's first choice for the top job, IAS officer Ramesh Negi, is not being approved by the union home ministry. It is learnt to have communicated to the state government that Negi is way too junior for the post.

The CM's office said no official letter had been received on this issue. Kejriwal met union home minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday and this matter, besides other issues, was discussed. The decision lies with the home minister who has officially left the matter "open to consideration". Kejriwal for now is learnt to be non-committal on changing his nominee for the top job.

TOI had first reported that the CM's first preference for the job was Negi, a1984 batch IAS officer. Among the different charges he has held in Delhi government, one if his prime assignments was being CEO of Delhi Jal Board. He also has good knowledge of civic matters as he was once additional commissioner in MCD. He is, at present, chief secretary of Arunachal Pradesh. His name was sent as part of the panel for the post to the MHA and the state was hopeful of getting approval.

However, the Union home ministry is now in a fix as Negi figures way down in the hierarchy of AGMUT officers eligible for the chief secretary's post. An official indicated that there are almost a dozen officers in the cadre who are senior to him. The concerned division in the home ministry (Union territory division) has forwarded the file relating to this appointment to Rajnath Singh. "The decision has to be taken at the top now...the home minister will have to peruse all the facts and take a final call," said a home ministry official.

If the impasse continues with both sides remaining non-committal, then one of the senior bureaucrats in the Delhi government will have to be given charge as acting CS.

Last time the AAP government, which lasted for 49 days, had chosen former DDA vice-chairman SK Srivastava as chief secretary. Kejriwal had then replaced Spolia with Srivastava. This time Srivastava has not found favour with the Kejriwal government and Negi is seen to be a good choice.

Kejriwal and his deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia, also discussed law and order, the recent cases of violence in Burari and the case of an alleged gangrape of a African woman with the home minister to drive home the need for better policing.