New Delhi (25.11.2023): The Supreme Court of India asked the Delhi government and the Centre to shortlist candidates for Delhi Chief Secretary. The SC asked both sides to share candidates' names with each other before the central government provides the shortlisted names to the SC on Tuesday.
The Apex court commended while hearing a plea by the Delhi government against the Centre for extending the tenure of the current Delhi Chief Secretary, Naresh Kumar - or appoint a new official.
The SC asked the Centre to recommend three names, and the Delhi government would choose an option from the list. The three names will be shared after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta discusses those with the central government.
"Give us (a) workable solution. The government should work without the need to go to court. Give us a way out. One option could be to give us three names. Why don't LG (VK Saxena) and CM (Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal) meet and decide (the) Delhi Chief Secretary row?" the court asked.
Senior Advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Saxena, agreed with the top court's suggestion but requested that the candidates' names should not be shared in the public domain to which CJI D Y Chandrachud agreed.
The ruling AAP government has levelled several allegations against Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, with the latest being a multi-crore 'hospital scam'. Earlier the party alleged Kumar's involvement in a Rs 850-crore land compensation scam linked to the Dwarka Expressway project. But the court ruled in favour of Kumar for not named in the corruption case.
