Delhi-centre tussle: SC verdict on services, ACB likely today

NEWDELHI: Three months after the Supreme Court reserved its verdict on a bunch of petitions challenging notifications issued by the Arvind Kejriwal-led government amid the power tussle between the Centre and Delhi, the top court is likely to deliver its final judgement on Thursday.

The issues, which the court is likely to rule upon, are as to who has control over services in Delhi administration, power to set up commission of inquiry, and control over anti-corruption bureau.

A bench of justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan will pronounce their findings at 10:30am on nine petitions that were filed before the court in connection with the dispute. The hearing had concluded on November 1, 2018.

During the earlier hearing, the Centre had told the apex court that the lieutenant governor (L-G) has the power to regulate

services in Delhi. The powers are delegated to the administrator of Delhi and the services can be administered through him, it had

said.

Unless the President of India expressly directs, the L-G, who is the administrator of Delhi, can- not consult the chief minister or the council of ministers, it was argued.

Delhi government led by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it wanted clarity with regard to the administration in view of the Constitution bench’s July 4 verdict.

A bench led by the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra had laid down broad parameters for governance of the national Capital. The matter reached the court after the two sides got entangled in a tussle ever since AAP came to power in 2014.

The five-judge bench verdict had unanimously held that Delhi cannot be given full statehood, but the L-G had not “independent decision making power”.

L-G, it said, has to act on the aid and advice of the elected government. Both the Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party government in the national Capital had welcomed the verdict, saying it vindicated their stand.