Delhi Government on Friday issued an order stating that all MPs, MLAs and ministers' communications have to be responded to promptly by bureaucrats, not adhering to which disciplinary action will be taken. This comes a day after Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary (CS) Dharmendra stating that government officers were not acknowledging letters, phone calls or messages from Assembly members.
“The members of Parliament and State Legislators occupy a very important place in our democratic set-up. In connection to their duties they often find it necessary to seek information from Ministries or departments,” the order read.
The letter by Gupta stated "This is with reference to the procedure and protocol norms to be adhered to by the Government Officers and Officials while dealing with the Hon'ble Members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly. A few instances have been brought to my notice where communications of the Hon'ble Members in the form of letters, phone calls or messages have not even been acknowledged by the concerned officer."
Further, in his letter, Gupta stated that this was a serious matter and there was an urgent need to reiterate the government's instructions by the General Adminstration, Department, Government of NCT of Delhi and the Department of Personnel and Training.
"This is a serious matter, and I think there is an urgent need to reiterate the Government Instructions issued in this regard by the General Administration Department, Government of NCT of Delhi and the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India, from time to time," the letter read.
"I would be grateful if all Administrative Secretaries, Head of Departments of various Departments of Government of NCT of Delhi, Delhi Police, DDA are sensitised towards these instructions for strict compliance. Action taken in this regard may be intimated to me at the earliest," the letter further read.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi Assembly Speaker stated that the law should take its course after the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) filed a First Information Report (FIR) against former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain in connection with alleged corruption and bribery related to the Rs 571 crore CCTV project in the national capital.Speaking to ANI, Gupta said, "Law should do its work, and by political blame game, we somewhere try to obstruct the action."Reacting to the development, Delhi BJP Chief Virendra Sachdeva claimed that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal would also be found involved in the alleged scam.He further alleged that Kejriwal and Jain were the masterminds behind the irregularities.