Who is Running the Government in Delhi? Officers, Ministers, or LG? Confusion Reigns Supreme

In a dramatic turn of events, Delhi’s Education Minister Atishi issued a show-cause notice to the education secretary and the education department on Wednesday. This action came in response to the department’s abrupt midnight transfer orders affecting nearly 5,000 government school teachers, a move that directly contravened the minister’s prior directive to halt such transfers.

The Delhi education department’s controversial orders were issued late Tuesday night, despite Atishi’s clear instructions against any immediate transfers. The AAP government, citing Article 239 AA, emphasized its authority over matters listed in the Concurrent List and demanded an explanation for what it termed as “disobedience” of the minister’s order.

This situation traces back to a circular issued by the education department on June 11. The circular mandated all teachers who had served over ten years in a single school to apply for transfers, either mutually or generally, failing which they would be reassigned by the headquarters at its discretion. This directive faced significant backlash from the government school teachers association, which called for its revocation.

Members of the association, led by General Secretary Ajay Veer Yadav, met with Atishi on Monday, presenting a memorandum to reverse the contentious transfer policy. In response, Atishi instructed the education secretary to withdraw the order. However, the subsequent midnight transfers have escalated the issue, leading to a blame game and a power tussle within the administration.

Ajay Veer Yadav has since written to both the education directorate and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, requesting the establishment of a grievance redressal committee to address the concerns of the transferred teachers. He emphasized that factors such as medical conditions, disabilities, retirement, and distance from residence should be considered in any transfer decision.

A delegation of government school teachers, including Yadav, is scheduled to meet with the director of education on Thursday to further discuss these issues.

The incident underscores a larger issue of governance in Delhi, where the roles and responsibilities of officers, ministers, and the Lieutenant Governor often intersect and sometimes conflict. As the AAP government navigates this latest crisis, the confusion over who truly holds the reins of power in Delhi’s administration continues to deepen.