The Delhi Chief Secretary Omesh Saigal confirming this fact stated, ``We have yet to receive any official word on the appointment of the new transport commissioner.''

While the other bureaucrats transferred along with him have taken over their offices, his appointment papers seem to be taking an inordinate amount of time. ``It usually takes this long,'' Saigal points out, ``May be this week the final orders would arrive.''

Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma claims he is in the dark. ``I have absolutely no idea about this appointment.'' But he is hopeful that in the next few days the `status' of the transfer would be known.

According to highly placed sources in the government, the present Transport Commissioner S Regunathan is said to have sought a review of his transfer orders. He has been transferred to Andamans as Chief Secretary. His request, however, is said to have been turned down by the Home Ministry.

But even Regunathan's transfer is hanging fire due to the ambiguity over Bezbaruah's appointment. Asks a BJP leader, ``If the controversial transfer of Bezbaruah was a political gimmick to pacify some alliance partners, then the delay in the transfer orders is also to make peace with some other partners.''

The bureaucrats are flummoxed at the behaviour of the Centre. ``How long does it take a bureaucrat to shift from his offices in the South Block to the offices at Underhill Road in the Capital,'' asked a senior functionary of the Delhi Government.