The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the Centre to grant a tenure extension of six months to Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, who is set to retire on November 30. The order was passed by a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud. This comes amidst allegations of financial irregularities in land acquisition for the Dwarka Expressway project against Kumar by the AAP government of Delhi.

Earlier this month, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reportedly recommended Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to suspend Kumar from his postin connection with the matter. The AAP government had challenged the BJP-led Centre's plans to extend Kumar's tenure as Delhi's Chief Secretary.The CJI Chandrachud-led bench, which also consisted Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, had on Tuesday asked the Centre to show its power and grounds for the extension of the tenure of the senior official. 

The apex court had also asked why the Centre was fixated on only one officer for the post. "Don't you have any other IAS officer who can be the Chief Secretary? You can appoint whomever you want. Why are you stuck with only one who can be the Chief Secretary of Delhi," the bench had asked the central government.

The Centre's counsel, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, told the bench that it planned on extending the tenure of the existing chief secretary, Naresh Kumar, for a limited period.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi government, objected to Mehta's statement saying that there existed an absolute lack of faith between the current Chief Secretary and the Delhi government.Singhvi further told the bench that unilateral extension of the term of the chief secretary without the aid of the Delhi government could not be upheld as valid.

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Notably, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, dubbed the 'Delhi Services Act', which came into effect in August, gives the Centre control over bureaucracy in Delhi and an authority was created under it for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers.

(With inputs from ANI)


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