New Delhi, Apr 26 (PTI) Lt Governor VK Saxena has approved the creation of 244 additional posts of principals in Delhi government schools, Raj Niwas officials said on Wednesday.

However, a statement from the office of the Education minister, alleged that Saxena had himself abolished 244 posts of principals in February for being vacant for more than five years.

Also Read | Criminal Defamation Case: Gujarat High Court Judge Recuses From Hearing Rahul Gandhi's Plea.

"Instead of answering why these posts remained vacant for more than five years, when the services were under his unconstitutional control all these years, he is now claiming the revival of something that lapsed due to his inaction in the first place," it said.

Saxena had in February also approved the revival of 126 posts.

Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Election 2023: From Basavaraj Bommai to Siddaramaiah and HD Kumaraswamy, List of Key Candidates of BJP, Congress, JDS and Their Constituencies.

The officials said that Saxena at that time had asked the Education department to submit a proposal for the creation of 244 additional posts of principals after a comprehensive study by the Administrative Reforms department, in consultation with the Services department.

The Lt Governor had also directed that suitable financial provisions be made and ensured for these 244 posts in Level-12 of the pay matrix, they said.

These posts will now be sent to the Union Public Service Commission to be filled according to their prescribed recruitment rules.

In its statement, the Education minister's office said, "The Lt Governor is again being selective and dishonest in appropriating the credit for solving a problem which he created in the first place."

In February, he abolished 244 posts of principals using the office memorandum dated April 12, 2017, for being vacant for more than five years, it said.

The statement further alleged, "Between February till now, he wasted the time of officials of the Education department in conducting the so-called 'comprehensive study' to determine whether these posts are actually required."

"And now (he has) restored those 244 posts, which already existed and were abolished by him only," it said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)