Kejriwal wants to discuss division of power with L-G

IN AUGUST 2016, DELHI HIGH COURT HAD RULED THAT THE LG WAS THE REAL ADMINISTRATOR OF DELHI

NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal wrote to lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on Thursday, asking him to discuss the division of powers between the elected government and the L-G office in order to avoid ‘unpleasant incidents’ which often lead to political controversies.

Sources said the ‘formal’ communication from the chief minister comes a day after he held a one-on-one discussion with Baijal over a host of issues related to administrative jurisdiction between the L-G secretariat and the elected government.

Hindustan Times has learnt that the two are likely to meet over the issue ‘soon’, as requested by the chief minister to which the L-G has agreed.

“During the discussion, the chief minister highlighted that in order to avoid controversies there is a need to revisit and discuss the varied aspects related to the power structure in the Capital. It includes understanding of the Constitution, the Govt of NCT Act, the transaction of business rules and even the last year’s Delhi High Court judgment,” an official said.

Deciding on a bunch of petitions of the Delhi government over the administrative jurisdiction, the Delhi HC in August last year had ruled that L-G was the city’s real administrator.

The Delhi government had challenged the verdict in the SC and matter is to be heard by a yetto-be-formed Constitution bench.

While the Arvind Kejriwal government shared a bitter relationship with the L-G office when Najeeb Jung was at the helm, the state government has had a blow hot, blow cold relationship with the incumbent Baijal.