Delhi government assigns Vigilance and Services Department to minister Atishi Marlena

New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi has reshuffled its cabinet. The government on Tuesday has now entrusted the responsibility of Vigilance and Services Department to its minister Atishi. Both departments were previously overseen by Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj. According to a government source, Delhi minister Atishi will be given additional charge of services and vigilance departments.

Kejriwal has sent the cabinet reshuffle file to the Lieutenant Governor for approval.The AAP government's decision comes a day after Parliament passed the 'Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023,' which gives the central government responsibility over the Delhi government's bureaucracy.

Notably, the bill received 131 votes in favor and 102 votes against in the Rajya Sabha.In the same year, in June, Atishi was given additional responsibility to manage the Revenue, Planning, and Finance departments after the Lieutenant Governor approved the cabinet reshuffle proposal.Previously, Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot was in charge of all three departments.Atishi, the Kejriwal cabinet's sole female member, would now hold 14 ministries, the most of any minister in the Delhi government.

Following the passage of the Delhi Services Bill, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting of his cabinet ministers. The meeting began at 12:00 p.m. in the Chief Minister's house in Civil Line. After the Rajya Sabha passed the Delhi Services Bill on Monday, Kejriwal declared it a "black day" for India's democracy.

He further accused the BJP government in Delhi of attempting to seize power through the backdoor.The Aam Aadmi Party chief accused the BJP of betraying the people of Delhi, calling it an insult to the people's voting rights.