The services department of the Delhi government has raised questions over secretary-level salaries paid to three non-official members of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) and sought an explanation from the finance and planning departments over it, officials said on Sunday.
In a letter dated September 1 and addressed to the principal secretaries of the finance and planning departments, the special secretary (services) has also asked them to suggest “corrective measures” that could be taken in the matter.
The three non-official members of the DDCD named in the services letter were Gopal Mohan and Aswathi Muralidharan, close aides of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and Vijaya Chandra Vupputuri. The letter said Mohan and Muralidharan drew a gross monthly salary of Rs 3,80,250, equivalent to that of a secretary in the Government of India, and Vupputuri was paid Rs 3,19,500 a month.
Reacting to the development, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government accused Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena of “destroying” Delhi under the garb of the Delhi Services Act, 2023. In a statement, it added that the current non-official members of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) were appointed in accordance with a gazette notification of April 29, 2016, which was approved by the then LG.
The services letter stated that the fixation of salaries of the non-official members of the DDCD at par with that of a secretary in the Government of India was “without any justification or clear approval by the competent authority, ie Chief Minister”.
The AAP government alleged that the “LG and the central government want to stop the good work done for the people of Delhi. Earlier also, he illegally removed the DDCD vice-chairman. The DDCD has done a lot of work in the interest of the people of Delhi, so the LG and the central government want to eliminate it completely”.
The services letter stated that the Delhi cabinet had, in 2015, decided to pay an honorarium of Re 1 to the three non-official members of the DDCD. However, in February 2016, the cabinet decided that the non-official members would be treated at par with a secretary in the Government of India.
A cabinet decision of February 24, 2016 abolished the honorary position of the non-official members and provided a fixed salary that is equivalent to that of a secretary in the Government of India or as may be decided by the chief minister. But this pay option was neither exercised by the non-official members nor determined by the chief minister nor deliberated on by pay and account officials.
However, despite this pay option never being exercised, it was reported that Delhi government started paying them salaries and perks equivalent to a secretary in Government of India.
The Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) is the policy think-tank of the Delhi Government. It was constituted in 2015 to advise the government on finding people-centric sustainable solutions to the critical development challenges of Delhi.
