NEW DELHI: The lieutenant governor’s office revealed on Tuesday that Manish Sisodia’s education ministry in Delhi had proposed to eliminate 244 school principal positions, and that these positions were “deemed abolished” because they could not be filled for five years. Days earlier, an AAP leader had claimed that the LG was delaying appointments for these positions.
At a press conference on Sunday, Mr. Sisodia stated that although they had made sure the file for the appointment of 370 principals was sent to the LG office, only 126 of those appointments had been approved, and the LG was delaying the appointments for 244 positions on the basis of “flimsy grounds.” He had also charged that the LG had illegally taken control of the services division.
These assertions were denied by LG’s office. “In actuality, the Education Department, under Manish Sisodia, filed a plan for approval of Lt Governor that would have reinstated 126 posts and eliminated 244 principal positions.”
These positions were “deemed eliminated,” according to a ministry of finance memo dated April 12, 2017, because the education department had been unable to fill them for more than five years, the LG office claimed.
It said that according to a memo from the finance ministry, a position that is considered to be eliminated cannot be filled without the authority’s approval.
The finance ministry paper further states that positions that go unfilled for five years may be promptly terminated.
According to a memo from the finance ministry, out of the 370 empty Principal positions, 126 had been vacant for more than two years and 244 had been vacant for more than five years, placing them under the definition of “deemed abolition.”
The LG office stated that, in contrast to the deputy chief minister’s assertions, the LG did not support the education department’s request to eliminate 244 positions.
Out of the 370 vacant Principal positions, 126 had been vacant for more than two years and 244 had been vacant for more than five years, making them eligible for “deemed abolition,” according to a memo from the finance ministry.
Contrary to what the deputy chief minister claimed, according to the LG office, the LG did not agree with the education department’s request to cut 244 jobs.
Regarding Manish Sisodia’s allegations that the LG “took over” the “services department unconstitutionally,” Saxena’s office responded that the services department is not within the purview of Delhi government’s legislative and executive branches, per a High Court ruling from August 4, 2016.
As a result, it stated, “This assertion of the Deputy Chief Minister is inaccurate and deceptive and is therefore denied.”
