Four ministers gone, Gahlot may be the fifth to lose berth
JINXED POSTS Four AAP ministers were sacked or disqualified after they were embroiled in different controversies
NEW DELHI : In less than three years since the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power in Delhi, four cabinet ministers have either been sacked or disqualified. If courts do not provide any relief to the party on the President’s assent to the Election Commission’s recommendations to disqualify 20 MLAS for holding offices of profit, transport minister Kailash Gahlot will be the fifth minister to lose his ministerial berth.
Gahlot, who represented Najafgarh constituency, held key portfolios such as transport, law, administrative reforms and information technology in the Delhi government.
Prior to Gahlot, other ministers who were stripped of their ministerial berth include Jitender Singh Tomar, Asim Ahmed Khan, Sandeep Kumar and Kapil Mishra. All these ministers were sacked from the cabinet because of various reasons ranging from holding fake degrees to graft charges.
JITENDER SINGH TOMAR
Tri Nagar MLA Jitender Singh Tomar was sacked as law minister for allegedly using a fake degree. Tomar, who was arrested by Delhi police, was initially supported by the government but when police showed evidence of his alleged wrongdoing, the government sacked him. Tomar had to resign from the cabinet in June 2015 — four months after taking charge of the department.
ASIM AHMED KHAN
Asim Ahmed Khan is an MLA from Matia Mahal constituency in old Delhi. He was removed from the cabinet by the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in October 2015 over alleged graft charges and referred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Khan was the minister for food and civil supply, environment and forests. He has been replaced by member of the legislative assembly from Ballimaran, Imran Hussain. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had called a press conference to announce his sacking and the case sent to the CBI.
SANDEEP KUMAR
The former women and child development minister and Sultanpuri MLA was sacked in September 2016 after a sex tape allegedly featuring him and a woman was circulated on social media. One of the woman seen in the tape later accused the minister of allegedly raping her by promising to provide her a ration card.
KAPIL MISHRA
The former water minister was sacked by the AAP government in May 2017 after he allegedly failed in his duties as a minister. Mishra, MLA from Karawal Nagar, accused chief minister Kejriwal of corruption and said he was punished for speaking against the party.
Parents can fill the centralised online application form for nursery admissions to around 1,700 private schools for the economically weaker section (EWS) and disadvantaged groups (DG) from Monday.
The government will conduct the computerised draw of lots on March 7.
The last date to fill the application form is February 21.
Unlike previous years, the Directorate of Education (DOE) will conduct computerised lottery system for admissions for all 1,700 private unaided recognised schools.
The circular said that parents need to file only one application form. “Multiple applications filed by an individual applicant shall lead to cancellation of candidature of the applicant, even after succeeding in draw of lots for admission,” it said.
All private unaided recognised schools except for minority institutions have to keep 25% of their total seats reserved for EWS category under the Right to Education (RTE).
Till last year, around 1,100 schools, which come under the Delhi School Education Act and Rules (DSEAR) 1973, were allotted applicants through the online system. The remaining 600 numerous judgments by the schools, which are recognised up Supreme Court on the issue of to elementary level by the DOE office of profit. The EC in its opinunder RTE Act, 2009, used to issue ion has not been able to spell out offline application forms. what pecuniary gain these 20 “Now, no private unaided recMLAS got by becoming parliaognised/provisionally recogmentary secretaries?” said AAP nised by DOE shall admit any in the statement. child offline at entry level
“The Election Commission classes,” the DOE circular. deliberately chose to ignore the The EWS/DG nursery admis2014 Supreme Court judgment sions will have an upper age limit because the Delhi government for admission even though there notification, appointing these was no age limit for admission on parliamentary secretaries on general seats.
March 13, 2015, had made it clear The DOE had said the age limit they will not get any remunerafor admission to nursery is 3-5 tive benefit in cash or kind,” the years, for KG is 4-6 years and for statement said. Class I it is 5-7 years.
Soon after President’s nod, Families with annual income chief minister Arvind Kejriwal less than ₹1 lakh can seek admisaddressed a gathering in Najafsion under the EWS category, the garh which is the constituency of DG category applicants include disqualified MLA and minister SC, ST, OBC, non-creamy layer, Kailash Gahlot. Kejriwal said it physically challenged, orphan was political vendetta and that and transgender and all children his party was targeted. living with or affected by HIV.