We are a team but can’t hand over services, Baijal tells CM
The notification said ‘services’ falls outside the purview of the legislative assembly of Delhi and the government of Delhi will have no powers in relation to it.
ANIL BAIJAL, Lieutenant Governor
NEW DELHI: Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Anil Baijal on Friday replied to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s letter and said he was on the same team as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and assured the Delhi cabinet of his “continued support and cooperation” for the development of the capital.
Baijal compared the Delhi government to a “bicycle” with the political executive on one side, the L-G on the other and the President riding. The L-G, who later in the day also held a meeting with Kejriwal, had his own interpretation of the Supreme Court’s verdict and said Delhi does not have the status of a “state” under the present constitutional scheme.
Baijal then went on to state that ‘services’, which deals with transfers and postings of officers, continues to fall out of the purview of the Delhi Legislative Assembly as the 2015 notification issued by the Union ministry of home affairs had not been quashed. He reiterated his stand during his meeting with the chief minister as well.
Kejriwal, on Thursday, had written to the L-G seeking his cooperation in implementing the SC order and urging him to hand over the services department to the elected government.
The chief minister termed the L-G’S remarks ‘contempt of court’, which would lead to ‘anarchy in the country’.
The L-G, in his letter, had highlighted an observation of the apex court which stated that under the Constitution, “there is no room for absolutism and no space for anarchy”.
Baijal also wrote that “further clarity” regarding the ‘services’ matter and other issues will come when the appeals pending before the regular bench of the Supreme Court are heard. He said the SC’S entire judgment and its implications are “being studied”.
The Delhi government and the L-G has continued to be at loggerheads following Wednesday’s apex court verdict, which clipped the powers of the L-G in matters of administration, regarding transfer and postings of bureaucrats.
The L-G highlighted the home ministry notification. “It said ‘services’ falls outside the purview of the legislative assembly of Delhi and consequently the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi will have no powers in relation to it. The notification was upheld by the high court in its judgment on August 4, 2016,” read Baijal’s letter.
Reacting to the L-G’S letter, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said that he had expected that Baijal would apologise for unconstitutionally using the powers which never existed.
“The objective of Central government and the L-G is clear as they have ruined 3.5 years of the government and are still not ready to grant the remaining 1.5 years,” Bharadwaj said.