'Unconstitutional Control': Delhi Dy CM Manish Sisodia Slams LG VK Saxena Over 244 School Principal Vacancies

Manish Sisodia claimed that no posts would have been vacant had the services department been with the Delhi government.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused Delhi LG VK Saxena of withholding appointments of 244 principals on 'flimsy grounds'

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New Delhi: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday accused Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena of withholding appointments of 244 principals on "flimsy grounds," a day after Saxena approved 126 posts of principals and deputy education officers in city government schools that had lapsed for remaining "vacant" for more than two years.

"There are 370 posts lying vacant and out of these 370, 126 were approved by LG sir. For the remaining, he has asked us to conduct a study. I want to ask LG sahab: These schools are functioning with the help of vice-principals. How can we conduct the study on feasibility of a principal?" he asked.

LG ने असंवैधानिक तरीक़े से Services Department पर कब्ज़ा नहीं किया होता तो हर School में प्रिंसिपल होता

हमें Vice-Principals से काम चलाना पड़ रहा है

LG-केंद्र को सर्विस डिपार्टमेंट पर कब्ज़ा करने की जिद्द है लेकिन उन्हें प्रिंसिपल की नियुक्ति करवाने की चिंता नहीं है

-@msisodia pic.twitter.com/Cug2Jc64cR

— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 5, 2023

In a press briefing, Sisodia claimed that no posts would have been vacant had the services department been with the Delhi government.

"They have an unconstitutional control over the services department," he said, targeting the BJP-led Centre.

He said he will also be writing to Saxena on the matter but urged him to not stop the appointments on remaining posts on "flimsy grounds".

"This is insensitive and unfortunate. LG sahab, please don't make it into a joke. Had the control of Services department been with the Delhi government, these posts would have been filled long back. If there is a need for a study, you can get a study done on whether the LG is needed or not," he said.

AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj expressed similar views to Sisodia, claiming that when the AAP came to power in 2015, they had sent a proposal to the Union Public Service Commission for filling 370 vacant posts of principals.

The saffron party had allegedly blamed the AAP government for the shortage of principals in their schools earlier.

"When Punjab elections were underway last year, the BJP and Congress criticised our education system citing no principal in schools. However, the LG himself exposed the lies of the BJP today and sanctioned 126 posts of the principals. When the AAP came to power in 2015 we acknowledged there is a shortage of principals in schools, we had sent a proposal to the UPSC for filling the posts of 370 principals,” Bhardwaj said during a press conference.

He further stated that when Manish Sisodia planned Delhi's education system, he insisted on having principals in every school in the city.

(With inputs from PTI)