Disagreements, but no discord with govt marks Baijal’s tenure

Baijal, who resigned as Delhi’s LG on Wednesday, brought stability to tumultuous relationship between the Delhi government and the Raj Niwas under his predecessor

HT Correspondents

NEW DELHI: Anil Baijal, who took over as Delhi LG in 2016 after a long administrative career in various capacities, brought stability to the Raj Niwas’ equation with the Delhi government from the tumultuous relationship between the two power centres under the reign of his predecessor Najeeb Jung, despite several disagreements on a range of issues with the Arvind Kejriwal government, several senior officials aware of the developments said.

They said that there were several “periods of calm” between the Delhi government and the LG office compared to almost daily acrimony under Jung. But, Baijal’s tenure of over five years and four months was not completely devoid of friction with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, they added.

From doorstep delivery of services, doorstep delivery of ration to the CCTV project, appointing special public prosecutors and intervention in the AAP government’s Covid-19 mitigation strategies, the government and the LG office had a tussle over several issues.

The first major flashpoint between Baijal and the Delhi government emerged over the doorstep delivery of services scheme in December 2017 when the LG said that the proposal had implications for “safety and security of women and senior citizens, possibility of corruption… and adds unnecessary expenditure for the government”.

Then, in an unprecedented move the chief minister and his colleagues sat on a nine-day dharna at the LG office, demanding approval for the Delhi government’s CCTV project. Baijal also rejected the Delhi government’s doorstep delivery of ration project, citing objections raised by the Centre, and cancelled the home isolation programme which later resumed.

However, it was on Baijal’s intervention that bureaucrats, who were protesting against the political executive over former chief secretary Anshu Prakash’s assault case, resumed work, the officials said pointing out how he often played the peacemaker.

During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Baijal issued an order asking all Covid-19 positive patients to be isolated only in Covid Care Centres and not at home, irrespective of the severity of disease. The decision was later rolled back after Kejriwal and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia did a series of press conferences criticising the move. During the Delta wave in 2021, the Delhi government passed an order to set up a committee to probe

whether people had died due to the shortage of oxygen. The LG rejected the decision, saying a committee set up by the Supreme Court was already looking into the issue.

In the aftermath of the 2020 Delhi riots, Baijal and the Delhi government again locked horns over the appointment of special public prosecutors to represent police. The two appointed their own choice of special prosecutors. The LG maintained that the riots cases were of sensitive nature. Later, during the farmers agitation and the 2021 Republic Day violence during the farmers tractor rally, the lieutenant governor’s office proposed appointment of lawyers to represent the police.

Besides the tussles with Delhi government, Baijal pushed several development programmes during his tenure. He encouraged police to ensure online delivery of its different citizen-centric services. Many backed initiatives such as online registration of theft, police clearance certificates, reporting of cyber-crimes, and other services.

As chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Baijal took several initiatives for effective implementation of urban policies, notably making Delhi pedestrian-friendly, development of green spaces and decongesting the city.

Baijal, who has served as vice-chairman of DDA, was

actively involved in the finalisation of the Master Plan of Delhi-2041. Senior DDA officials said he had instructed officials to ensure that the vision document is simplified so that it is understood by people at large.

As LG, he was also the chairman of the Unified Traffic and Transportation infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), the nodal agency for approving traffic and transportation projects. DDA officials said Baijal always stressed on the seamless integration of various modes of transport and pedestrianfriendly infrastructure.

Some of the projects approved during his tenure include the traffic circulation plan around the New Delhi Railway Station as part of its redevelopment, construction of a 14-long elevated corridor around seven government accommodation projects. He has also focused on development of biodiversity parks in the city and timebound redevelopment of Yamuna riverfront redevelopment project.

FROM DOORSTEP DELIVERY OF SERVICES AND RATION TO THE CCTV PROJECT, APPOINTING SPECIAL PUBLIC PROSECUTORS AND INTERVENTION IN THE AAP GOVERNMENT’S COVID-19 MITIGATION STRATEGIES, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE LG OFFICE HAD A TUSSLE OVER SEVERAL ISSUES