HC tells govt: Don’t take coercive steps against bureaucrats

THREE OFFICIALS HAD BEEN SUMMONED BY SPEAKER FOR FAILING TO ANSWER A FEW QUESTIONS POSED BY LEGISLATORS

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Monday asked the Delhi assembly not to take any “coercive steps” against the three bureaucrats summoned by speaker Ram Niwas Goel for allegedly failing to answer a few questions posed by legislators.

Justice C Hari Shankar said the interim order of putting a stay on their appearance before the House will continue till June 13, the next date of hearing.

The trio was asked to be present in the visitor’s gallery of the assembly on June 11, Monday.

The court said that no “precipitative action” be taken against the three bureaucrats. It said the interim order was being passed because of the serious issues raised in the plea that needed “proper consideration”.

Bureaucrats in the national Capital have been protesting for the last four months.

On June 7, the Speaker issued summons to education secretary Sandeep Kumar, Nagendra Kumar services secretary, and revenue secretary Manisha Saxena.

Appearing for the trio, senior advocate Sanjay Jain and advocate Rajshekhar Rao contended that the allegedly unanswered questions were related to services and land which, along with law and order, are issues on which the assembly cannot legislate.

The lawyers said that in such a situation, queries raised by legislators on these subjects ought not to have been allowed by the speaker.

However, appearing for the Delhi government, additional standing counsel Gautam Narayan said that the bureaucrats were bound to comply with the June 7 letter.

The speaker had directed the bureaucrats to be present during assembly proceedings the next day after their departments allegedly did not reply to the written questions of legislators. Goel termed it as an “undeclared emergency” where government officers are not answering questions asked by MLAS and blamed Lt-governor Anil Baijal.