Delhi Lg Taranjit Singh Sandhu Transfers Sensitive Departments Vigilance Overhaul

Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi Taranjit Singh Sandhu has directed that officials posted at the same post for extended periods be transferred, and that the list of sensitive departments be redrawn, officials said on Sunday. This comes two days after the government effected an administrative reshuffle involving 16 IAS and DANICS officers, making changes across the Urban Development, Finance, Environment, Education, Food Safety and Transport departments.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has also recently pushed for a systematic rotation of officials, particularly those who have remained in the same department or assignment for long periods. Officials had told The Indian Express last month that the Delhi government is planning a major administrative reshuffle, with around 60-70% of cadre and ex-cadre officials likely to be transferred. These officials and staffers “have been working in a ‘comfort zone’ for over five years” in their departments, sources had said.

Sandhu has also directed that Chief Vigilance Officers (CVOs) be posted immediately in all sensitive departments of the Delhi government, according to government sources.

The directions follow a review by the LG of the vigilance systems, processes and practices that have been in place in the Delhi government for over a decade, officials added. He recently met the Principal Secretary (Vigilance), Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), on the subject, an official said.

As part of the directions, the existing circular governing postings of longer duration is to be reframed, with all officials posted at one place for long periods to be moved out, sources said.

The LG has also directed that the government’s list of sensitive departments be reframed. During the review, it emerged that some departments with higher financial allocations had not been included in the list of sensitive departments, while others that were seemingly less sensitive figured on it, according to officials.

Sandhu further directed that a standard mechanism and operational guidelines be devised for CVOs, detailing how they should supervise adherence to the Central Vigilance Commission guidelines in contracts and tender processes. The Vigilance department has also been asked to hold regular meetings of departmental CVOs to review vigilance work, officials added.