SUPREME COURT’S VIEWS ON LG, NOT TO SIT ON FILES, enhances KEJRIWAL’S MORALE

The AAM AADMI PARTY seems to be quite relaxed and in a jubilant mood after the honourable supreme court’s view that though the LG is undoubtedly the head of the National Capital Territory of Delhi as per the constititional provisions but that certainly does not mean (that) he should sit on the files and delay them as being accused by the state government duly elected by the resounding majority with Congress gaining a big zero while BJP having been compelled to relent with merely three MLAs in the Delhi assembly.

This statement is definitely a huge rebuff to the LG’s office as in a way it vindicates the stand of the Delhi CM and his government that the decisions duly passed by them even by two thirds majority in the duly elected assembly are not being okayed or cleared by the Lt. Governor of Delhi Anil Baijal who happens to be the nominee of the central government ruled by BJP led NDA, the arch political rival of AAP. Several important matters like regularisation of services of over 15000 adhoc teachers etc are currently lying pending at the LG’s table since long after having been cleared by the Delhi Assembly.

It may be recalled that the Delhi High Court has earlier delivered a pro LG verdict in a case saying that since the latter is constitutionally the administrative head of the government, he has the full powers and discreation to act on his sweet will and that the state government will have to abide by his drectives. This decision of the high court compelled AAP government to move the apex court complaining of various deliberate bottlenecks being created by the centre through the LG and as such a duly elected government is not able to function freely in wider public interest.

The Delhi CM has even gone to the extent of saying that he is not even elligible to appoint a peon on his own, indicating that for every minor decision or action he has to seek the leutinent governor’s written consent, which is usually inordinately delayed. The matter was therefore handed over to a bench of learned judges by the chief justice Deepak Mishra to decide the vexed issue by the majority judicial opinion, the next hearing for which has been fixed for 7th November.

The supreme court bench fully agreed that the LG is the supreme administrative head of the Delhi government and the land, revenue and maintenance of public order are under his direct jurisdiction but has no right to sit on files sent for the approval by an elected government. Since the day Arvind Kejriwal assumed the charge as Delhi’s chief minister after giving a huge political rebuff to both Congress and BJP, he is being targetting by both the parties on every count, with BJP having its fullest say accuse the AAP CM and other functioneries.

The verbal spat between Delhi CM and BJP leaders is well known with Kejriwal blaming the centre and LG, even prime minister Modi earlier for creating deliberate bottlenecks on the ways of the government’s functioning. The earlier LG Dr. Nazeeb Zung, a Congress nominee who later on won the heart of the Centre was the main target of Arvind Kejrival who often used to blame him as the centre’s stooge. Dr. Jung finally resigned voluntarily paving the way for the BJP nominee Anil Baijal who is again being accused by AAP of non cooperation and creating administrative bottlenecks in its way of delivering pro people decisions.

SUNIL NEGI