Ajay Maken hits out at AAP government, says advisers' appointment illegal

Continuing its attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) chief Ajay Maken said on Tuesday that not only the appointments of the nine advisers were illegal, but many were given salaries/reimbursements from the taxpayers money up to Rs 1.30 lakh per month which had never happened earlier.

The Shunglu Committee, in its report submitted on 28 November 2016, had pointed out grave irregularities in the appointments of 71 AAP party supporters in the Delhi government.

The AAP government took the decision to cancel the appointment of the nine advisers acting on the advice of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs saying the creation of posts and appointments were done illegally.

In an order on Tuesday, the general administration department (GAD) said it had received a clarification from the MHA on April 10 that the nine posts were not among the list of posts approved for the chief minister and ministers of Delhi.

"Further, no prior approval of the central government has been taken for creation of said posts on which these persons have been appointed on a co-terminus basis, which is a requirement as per MHA's OM dated 3.9.1997," the GAD order said.

Maken said the AAP government flouted with impunity existing rules and regulations not only in the appointment of the nine AAP supporters but also in the appointment of the 21 Parliamentary secretaries to the ministers and various other appointments

"The Kejriwal government has not been working in the interest of the people of Delhi, who elected them to power with a massive majority, but to please the AAP workers at a heavy cost to the exchequer, instead of providing efficient and meaningful administration," Maken said.