Kejriwal to meet LG, says must abide by SC verdict
CM, Sisodia say noncompliance could lead to contempt proceedings
NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday warned lieutenant governor (LG) Anil Baijal and bureaucrats of the state government that executive powers related to “services,” specifically, the appointment and transfers of civil servants, rests with the council of ministers and the LG clearing any file relating to the subject would amount to contempt of court.
In a letter to the LG, Kejriwal also said the government would no longer require his “concurrence” on any matter other than the reserved subjects of public order, police and land. Copies of the letter were released by the CM’s office. The CM’s statement came a day after the Supreme Court said the LG’s administrative powers were restricted to these three issues, and that the elected government of the union territory had primacy on other issues. The court asked the LG and the state government to work “harmoniously”. The specific issues between the LG and the state government are to be decided by a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court. Conveying the AAP government’s interpretation of the SC verdict, Kejriwal wrote to Baijal on Thursday seeking an appointment to discuss the issue of the services department.
This is likely to be a sticky issue. The two-judge bench will have to rule on it, but Union minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday dubbed as “wholly erroneous” the “presumption” that the Supreme Court ruling had given the Aam Admi Party (AAP)- led Delhi government administrative powers over union territory (UT) cadre officers.
“It (order) emphasises the importance of elected State Government, but Delhi being a Union Territory makes its powers subservient to the Central Government,” he said in a blog. The LG is scheduled to meet Kejriwal and deputy CM Manish Sisodia at his office at 3 pm on Friday.