Delhi government raises questions over secretary-level salaries paid to non-official members of DDCD

The services department of the Delhi government has raised questions over secretary-level salaries paid to three non-official members of the DDCD and sought an explanation from the finance and planning departments over it, officials said on Sunday. In a letter dated September 1 and addressed to the principal secretaries of the finance and planning departments, the special secretary (services) has also asked them to suggest "corrective measures" that could be taken in the matter.

Reacting to the development, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government accused Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena of "destroying" Delhi under the garb of the Delhi Services Act, 2023.

In a statement, it added that the current non-official members of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) were appointed in accordance with a gazette notification of April 29, 2016, which was approved by the then LG.


The three non-official members of the DDCD named in the services letter were Gopal Mohan and Aswathi Muralidharan, close aides of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and Vijaya Chandra Vupputuri.

The letter said Mohan and Muralidharan drew a gross monthly salary of Rs 3,80,250, equivalent to that of a secretary in the Government of India, and Vupputuri was paid Rs 3,19,500 a month.

The DDCD was set up in February 2015 as a think-tank of the Delhi government for efficient administration and holistic development.

The services letter stated that the fixation of salaries of the non-official members of the DDCD at par with that of a secretary in the Government of India was "without any justification or clear approval by the competent authority, ie Chief Minister".

The AAP government alleged that the "LG and the central government want to stop the good work done for the people of Delhi. Earlier also, he illegally removed the DDCD vice-chairman. The DDCD has done a lot of work in the interest of the people of Delhi, so the LG and the central government want to eliminate it completely".

The services letter stated that the Delhi cabinet had, in 2015, decided to pay an honorarium of Re 1 to the three non-official members of the DDCD.

However, in February 2016, the cabinet decided that the non-official members would be treated at par with a secretary in the Government of India.

A cabinet decision of February 24, 2016 abolished the honorary position of the non-official members and provided a fixed salary that is equivalent to that of a secretary in the Government of India or as may be decided by the chief minister, the services letter said.

"But this pay option was neither exercised by the non-official members nor determined by the chief minister nor deliberated on the file by the pay and account officials of the planning department," it added.

However, the Delhi government started paying them salaries and perks equivalent to a secretary in the Government of India, although the pay option was never exercised, it said.