All eyes on L-G, Kejri meet today
NEW DELHI: All eyes are set on the meeting between lieutenant-governor (L-G) Anil Baijal with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy CM Manish Sisodia, which is scheduled to take place at 3 pm at the L-G office on Friday.
The meeting comes after Kejriwal wrote to the L-G, requesting him for a meeting to seek his “guidance” and “support” in implementing the Supreme Court’s Wednesday order.
The apex court gave the elected government an upper hand over the L-G in daily administration, saying the L-G is bound to listen to the city’s democratically elected government and cannot act independently.
Kejriwal last met Baijal at the L-G office on June 11, after which he remained at the visitor’s room in protest for the next nine days till June 19.
The chief minister and his three cabinet colleagues had gone to meet Baijal, demanding he direct the bureaucrats to call off a partial strike that they had been following over the past four months.
Officials had stopped attending meetings called by ministers after chief secretary Anshu Prakash accused AAP legislators of assaulting him at Kejriwal’s residence.
While Baijal did not meet Kejriwal during the nine-day sit in, the CM called off his protest after assuring bureaucrats of their safety. They agreed to resume attending meetings with ministers.
In his letter to Baijal, Kejriwal on Thursday said all stakehold- ers need to work towards implementing the Supreme Court order in its letter and spirit. “I am writing this letter to seek your support and guidance in implementing it and working for the development of Delhi. It is a landmark judgment as it brings clarity on distribution of powers between the council of minister and the Centre,” he said.
Government officials said Kejriwal and Sisodia will discuss the issue of the services department with Baijal. The department, which deals with the appointments and transfers of officers, has been under the L-G’S control.
The AAP government claims the SC’S order on Wednesday brings the important department under the elected government.
Kejriwal said as per the apex court’s order, the Centre and the L-G have executive powers only on three subjects — land, public order and police.