Govt claims L-G obstructing projects. Baijal’s office says attempt to mislead

NEWDELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Wednesday accused lieutenant governor Anil Baijal of creating ‘hurdles’ in the launch of important projects and ‘shielding corrupt officers’.

In a 88-page report on 32 government proposals titled, ‘Outcomes of the office of the Lieutenant Governor’, tabled in the Delhi Assembly by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday, the government said that half of the projects were either delayed or rejected by the L-G.

Responding to the AAP government’s allegations, the L-G office said that the outcome report contained ‘incorrect facts’.

Reading out the report, Sisodia said Baijal was “seeking clarifications” and raising insubstantive queries merely to delay and derail the projects of the elected government”.

The report stated that Baijal took 402 days to approve the higher education loan guarantee scheme for students -- the maximum delay. The report stated that the doorstep delivery of services, was cleared the quickest — in 21 days.

The L-G office said the report was a “deliberate attempt to mislead”. “A detailed factual response on this report shall be given tomorrow (Thursday),” it said.

Sisodia alleged that Baijal was protecting the ‘corrupt officers’ *The number of vacancies in a given department (except health) includes posts that are currently occupied by contractual staff. and causing delay in approval of schemes on ‘flimsy grounds which creates doubts over his intentions’.

“There is full protection to the corrupt officers from the L-G’S institution. Is it working as a local guardian of all corrupt officers?” Sisodia said.

The deputy CM said though L-G’S main subjects are law and order, land and services, he is hindering government’s projects.

“People are not happy with the police as crime is rising in the city. Maintaining law and order in the city comprises 98% of the L-G’S job as the police comes under him. He is not performing his responsibility, but delaying key projects of the elected government,” Sisodia said in the Assembly.

He also alleged that Baijal was paralysing the government by claiming jurisdiction over every issue claiming it comes under services .

“L-G can have difference of opinion with the government and may send proposal to the President. He can issue an interim order for the government till the proposal is with the President. But he cannot stop or delay the policies. He has no right to seek clarifications,” said the AAP leader.

As per the government report, Sisodia wrote several letters to the L-G, requesting him to change the director of department of information and publicity (DIP) but there was no response from L-G office.

Request for appointment of officers for the directorate of education, provision of mid day meals by Akshyaya Patra Foundation, constructing 1,000 mohalla clinics, and setting up town vending committee were some of the proposals listed in the report, including vacant posts in several important departments. These posts are to be filled by the services department, which is under the ambit of the L-G, the report said.