Govt focus more on rhetoric than resolving issues: LG
Baijal said that he has approved 97% of about 10,000 proposals received
NEWDELHI: Delhi Lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal on Thursday said that the Aam Aadmi Party government’s focus appears to be “more on rhetoric and public posturing, rather than on resolving issues of the national capital”.
Giving a point-by-point rebuttal to the government’s ‘outcome report’ on him, Baijal, in a statement, said that he has approved 97% of about 10,000 proposals received by his office.
In the ‘outcome report’ on L-G tabled in the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday, the AAP government claimed that Baijal did not clear 17 of the 32 policy proposals. The report, on which the L-G’S office refused to specifically comment, had also stated that even if Baijal gave approvals for some proposals, the assent came with an average delay of 157 days or roughly five months.
The L-G, instead, blamed the government for delays i n responding to his comments and suggestions on files. Baijal said few files that were returned for clarification were those which were incomplete or in contravention of rules. Also, he said decision-making would be much faster if the government followed rules and did due diligence.
“There are cases, which are not included (for example, constitution of the Delhi School Education Advisory Board (DSEAB), where the file remained pending with the minister for more than two years (768 days) without any reason!” said Baijal.
The government said that the allegation is “completely false” and that the L-G repeatedly returned files “on newer and trivial grounds”.
Baijal said that it is important for him to seek clarification on issues “as a large number of decisions of the elected government have been declared null and void by the Delhi High Court for violation of scheme of governance”. These, he said, included the notifications for constituting commission of inquiry, appointment of nominee directors of discoms and fixing minimum circle rates.
The L-G office said that deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia sought in-principle approval for licence to use and allot four acres of government land to Akshaya Patra Foundation, an NGO. The L-G instead asked Sisodia to do “fair play” and allot the land through tender or open competition. The government said that the NGO is “nationally reputed for its high-quality mid-day meals and is providing the same service in at least eight states on nomination basis”.
On mohalla clinics, Baijal said that he had received “serious complaints” of favouritism to AAP volunteers in selection of sites for clinics. He said there were reports of lack of transparency in selection and deployment of doctors, data rigging for inflating the payment to the doctors and staff and exorbitant rents for the site. The government said the complaints were filed by Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken.
The two sides also exchanged allegations and counter allegations over doorstep delivery of services, enhancement of minimum wages, higher education loan guarantee scheme and chief minister’s urban leadership fellowship programme.