LG writes CM Atishi

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena on Saturday wrote to Chief Minister Atishi, saying he is yet to receive any proposal for reappointment of Civil Defense Volunteers (CDVs), who were removed as bus captains last year. Around 10,000 CDVs working as marshals on public transport buses in Delhi were sacked from their jobs in November last year after objections were raised by the tax and finance departments. Meanwhile, the Delhi BJP has threatened Chief Minister Atisha’s Gherao if she does not send a re-employment proposal to the CDV.

“Of course, you and your party leaders can continue to engage in politics by taking responsibility for their reinstatement, but any further delay in the welfare of these economically weaker and helpless people is in no way right,” Saxena said in the letter.

In a report on X, Raj Niwas said that the LG has again written to the Chief Minister explaining the non-use of CDVs so far and requested her for their immediate reappointment.

The LG has also asked the government to formulate a concrete framework for their immediate and long-term engagement, it said. Saxena, in her letter to Atishi, accused her Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders of engaging in “unwanted politics” on the issue, but “unfortunately, he has not received any proposal from her yet.”

Referring to his previous communication to the Chief Minister on October 24, Saxena said he had directed to ensure reappointment of the CDV from November 1 and was seeking a comprehensive proposal for their long-term engagement. He said he ordered the CDV to be strengthened to help the national capital fight air pollution.

“Air pollution in Delhi is at its peak and if these volunteers were re-appointed on time, they would definitely help in resolving the situation and also benefit themselves,” the LG said. He asked the Chief Minister to quickly resolve the issue and direct the officials to submit a proposal for reinstating the volunteers.

Criticizing the Atishi-led AAP government, South Delhi BJP MP Ramveer Singh Bidhuri said that the AAP government has been exposed. “Despite instructions from the LG, Chief Minister Atishi has not sent a proposal to reuse the CDV. They have time to speak at press conferences three to four times a day to generate media coverage. But they don’t have time to prepare a CDV proposal,” he added. Bidhuri said all AAP leaders know that these volunteers lost their jobs in October 2023 due to the decision of then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Bidhuri said what could be more unfortunate than the Lieutenant Governor having to remind the Delhi government that it was confused by the credit policy and had not yet been able to send this proposal.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that the Kejriwal-Atisha government has no intention of reinstating these volunteers and even if the proposal is made today, if AAP returns to power, they will sack them again in March.

Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav said the Aam Aadmi Party government is shedding crocodile tears over the sacked Civil Defense Volunteers (CDVs)/bus marshals. Yadav said AAP legislators created a ruckus during the two-day Delhi Assembly session last month by raising the issue of marshals and even passing a joint resolution demanding reinstatement of marshals who were sacked by Kejriwal. Government. He said the AAP ministers also created a big drama when Saurav Bharadwaj fell at the feet of Opposition leader Vijender Gupta, pleading with him to accompany the AAP leaders to a meeting with the LG to take up the bus chiefs’ case.