Lt Governor Anil Baijal transfers Delhi health secretary, 13 others

NEW DELHI: Lt Governor Anil Baijal has transfered health secretary Chandraker Bharti, who has been at the loggerheads with the the AAP government over several issues including a ban on Chinese manja and his “absence in key meetings”.

Baijal also transfered-posted 13 other IAS officers, giving them new responsbilities in different departments in the Delhi government.

The order to this effect was issued by the services department yesterday.

The Lt Governor has appointed Bharti as the Secretary of Environment and Forest. Bharti, a 1996-batch IAS officer, earlier had additional charge of this department. Baijal has posted IAS officer Madhup Vyas, a 2000-batch IAS officer, as the new Health Secretary in the Delhi government. Vyas was awaiting posting.

Last August, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia had demanded the then Lt Governor Najeeb Jung that he remove Bharti, who was then environment secretary, for a delay in issuing a notification banning Chinese manja. However, the demand was ignored.

In December, CM Arvind Kejriwal and health minister Jain had slammed Bharti for allegedly refusing to go with the latter to LNJP Hospital following report of a death allegedly due to negligence.