Chief Secretary row: Former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit says confrontation will harm city

Amid a row over the appointment of Delhi's acting Chief Secretary, former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Sunday said an "atmosphere of confrontation" would be created if there is no coordination between the LG and the CM.

Dikshit, who served as Delhi Chief Minister for 15 years, also said that it would be city's loss if the administration is not functioning properly.

"It will be Delhi's loss if the administration is not functioning properly...playing with the administration like this is very harmful for Delhi," the former CM said.

"If there is no coordination between the L-G and the CM, an atmosphere of confrontation will be created which will cause more damage," she said, adding this is neither good for Delhi nor for the administration.

Yesterday, a full-blown war erupted between Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with both challenging each other's authority following a bitter confrontation on the appointment of an acting Chief Secretary for 10 days.

Hours after senior bureaucrat Shakuntala Gamlin took charge as acting Chief Secretary despite being asked not to do so by Kejriwal, the fight flared up as he shot off a strongly- worded letter to Jung, asking him to work "within confines" of Constitution and alleging that he was trying to take over the administration.

The Lt Governor had hit back at Kejriwal, blaming him for the delay in appointment of an acting Chief Secretary and revoked Kejriwal's order transferring Principal Secretary in Services Department Arindam Majumdar, who issued the appointment letter to Gamlin on the instructions from Jung.

The Congress leader said differences of opinion can be solved by discussion.

"If officers feel demoralised, they will not be able to work because they have to think of who to listen to and who not to listen to. These differences of opinion can be solved by sitting down and discussing," she said here.