This comes on the day that the Lok Sabha passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, which gives the L-G more control over bureaucrats in the city than the elected government.
The Delhi government Thursday accused Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar of “attempting to bypass the Chief Minister” and sending files directly to the Lieutenant Governor.
This comes on the day that the Lok Sabha passed the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, which gives the L-G more control over bureaucrats in the city than the elected government.
Mayor Shelly Oberoi had requested clearance to travel to Brisbane, Australia, for the 2023 Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayor’s Forum, in October.
According to the Delhi government, the file was sent from her office to the MCD Commissioner in June, who then sent it to the Urban Development department secretary. He then sent it to the Chief Secretary.
“The Chief Secretary chose to bypass the entire elected government, and sent the file directly to the L-G without first forwarding the file to the office of the Minister concerned (Urban Development), Saurabh Bharadwaj or the Chief Minister,” the government said in a statement.
“As per the Constitutional norms applicable to Delhi and past SC orders, all files concerning subjects transferred to the elected government must be mandatorily put up first to the minister concerned and then the Chief Minister, before being sent to the office of the L-G,” it added.
According to the file notings, the L-G, V K Saxena, asked that the Chief Secretary to resubmit the proposal through the office of the Chief Minister.
The office of the L-G, however said that the CS was “required” to send the file directly to the L-G.
“The L-G Secretariat sent the file back to Chief Secretary conveying L-G’s desire that the file be resubmitted through the CM, solely because the L-G, like always, wanted the CM to be kept in loop on decisions — especially those that concerned his political colleagues… Even in the past, the L-G has… always kept the CM in loop in all matters — even those on which it was duly not required, in the interest of smooth governance,” Raj Niwas officials said.
Article source: indianexpress.com
