Why do senior govt officials want to leave Delhi?

At least a dozen senior officers working with Delhi government are understood to have approached the Home ministry to get postings outside, amid the ongoing row over appointment of an acting chief secretary.

Sources said the officers of both Indian Administrative Services and DANICS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands) cadre are keen to get postings in any other place under the jurisdiction of the Union Territory cadre or in the central deputation.

The officers were apparently not being able to adjust with the style of functioning of the Aam Aadmi Party government and hence wanted to leave the city administration.

Some of them have approached officials in the Home ministry, which controls the UT cadre IAS and DANICS officers. However, no formal communication has come from any of the officers, sources said.

They said the stand-off between Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and the AAP government over appointment of Shakuntala Gamlin as acting chief secretary had a negative impact on Delhi government's bureaucracy that led to the development.

The confrontation over Gamlin's appointment as acting chief secretary turned into a full-blown war between ruling AAP and the Lieutenant Governor last week with Kejriwal alleging that Jung was trying to take over the administration.

Despite Kejriwal's strong opposition, Jung appointed Gamlin to the post on Friday. On Saturday, the chief minister had asked her not to take charge of the post but she ignored his directive and followed the LG's order.

Both Jung and Kejriwal met President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday separately and apprised him about their respective side of the story.