IAS Association secretary Manisha Saxena holding a press conference in New Delhi (Source: ANI)
Refuting Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s claim that IAS officers were “on strike”, the IAS Association on Sunday reiterated that all officers and officials were working with “full vigour and dedication”.
Categorically stating that IAS officers remain politically neutral, the IAS Association said they work as per law and constitution. “We neither support any political party nor we are against any political party. We work as per law and constitution,” it said in a press release.
CM Arvind Kejriwal along with his deputy Manish Sisodia, ministers Satyendar Jain and Gopal Rai, is sitting at the office of Lt Governor Anil Baijal for past one week, demanding him to direct IAS officers to end their “strike” and approve doorstep delivery scheme of his government. To support their chief, AAP cadres are holding a march towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence.
“Despite individual and personalised attacks on officers including the despicable assault on Chief Secretary, our endeavor has been to cooperate with the political executive and assist in policy making without fear or favour. Any public dealing office or Secretariat can be visited by anybody in Delhi to ascertain that all officers are at work as normal,” it further said.
The AAP is holding the march to support the sit-in of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues at the lieutenant governor’s office for the last six days demanding him to direct IAS officers to end their “strike”. (Express Photo: Gajendra Yadav)
Later addressing reporters, IAS Association secretary Manisha Saxena said: “I would like to inform that we are not on strike. The information that IAS officers in Delhi are on strike is completely false & baseless. We are attending meetings, all depts are doing their works. We are sometimes also working on holidays.”
Varsha Joshi, Delhi transport commissioner, said IAS officers are being used for “political reasons”. “Let us do our work. We are feeling frightened and victimised. We are being used for completely political reasons,” Joshi said.