INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: With no sign of abatement of the turf war between the Centre and the Delhi government and a new front opening over the selection
of the chief secretary of the national capital territory, the Supreme Court on Friday devised a unique method to insulate those in the zone
will ask the Delhi government to select, within an hour, one from the panel of names suggested by the Union government for appointment as
balance between the Delhi government's claim that it had the sole prerogative to select the key bureaucrat and the Centre's insistence
that, after the change of the law, the matter belonged squarely in its domain.The bench was hearing a petition by the AAP government
demanding that the appointment of the successor to Naresh Kumar, who is due for retirement on November 30, be done by the Centre in
consultation with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.Appearing for the Kejriwal government, senior advocate A M Singhvi said
notwithstanding the generic law vesting the control of services in Delhi with the Union government, the appointment of chief secretary
should be done in consultation with the CM.In the federal system of governance in a democracy like India, there must be utmost
confidentiality and trust between the government and chief secretary, Singhvi said and requested the court to direct the Centre to consult
commentary on the incumbent chief secretary so much so that he had to move a court to get an injunction against scurrilous attacks
In this scenario, they (AAP government) come and tell the SC not to foist someone on them
complete secrecy to selection.The CJI said a workable solution must be found so that there is a degree of confidence between the chief
secretary and the Delhi government
about the treatment meted out to them
and that process is going on.
