Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on Monday referred the matter of the non-appearance of the finance department’s principal secretary before the House despite a summons to the Privileges Committee.
Before lunch, the Assembly passed a resolution summoning A C Verma, principal secretary, finance, to appear before the House at 2 pm for allegedly obstructing government funds earmarked for the House.
As Verma did not turn up, the Speaker directed him to be present in the House at 5 pm or else the matter of his absence would be referred to the Privileges Committee. Verma, however, failed to appear yet again. "This is a huge insult to the House. I refer this matter to the Privileges Committee," Goel said.
AAP legislator Mohinder Goyal threatened to launch a stir over the alleged obstruction of funds. "I will start a protest after 20 days. I am giving them time but I promise to keep troubling these people. At 10 am on the 21st day, I will hold protests outside the Lt Governor's residence as well as the houses and offices of these officers who are obstructing the work of the government," he said.
"They have not listened to any committee till now. I will take the people of Delhi with me and those of you who want to join me can come," he added.
Earlier in the day, the Assembly Speaker said because funds were not being released by Verma, the annual programmes of the Assembly on Diwali and Chhath could not be held this year. The function on Christmas will also not be held, he said during the ongoing Winter Session of the Delhi Assembly. Chief Whip of the Aam Aadmi Party, Dilip Pandey, then moved a resolution for summoning Verma to the Assembly.
When the Assembly session resumed after lunch, Finance Minister Atishi raised the issue. "It seems a conspiracy is underway. The finance department refers files related to Delhi Vidhan Sabha to the law department. However, the law department has written on more than 40 files that no file related to the Assembly should come to them," she said.
"Since 1993, the files of Delhi Vidhan Sabha were being sent to the finance department but now it is saying the files should not be sent to them," she added. Atishi also claimed that despite being the finance minister, her directions were not being followed by the finance department."After the GNCTD (Amendment) Act, officers refuse to listen to the ministers. Delhi's bureaucracy has been weaponised against the elected government," she alleged.
According to Goel, the principal secretary, finance, had said that he was on leave and sent Niharika Rai, secretary, finance, to attend the proceedings.
However, the BJP MLAs opposed this, saying a principal secretary is the head of a department unlike a secretary while the AAP MLAs termed the absence as "contempt of the House" and questioned how could the senior official be on leave when the Assembly was in session.
Subsequently, Goel directed Verma to be present in the House or else the matter would be referred to the Privileges Committee. Meanwhile, Pandey's resolution that files related to the Assembly's financial matters be sent directly to the finance department was passed by the House.
The Delhi Assembly on Monday passed a resolution seeking the presence of all concerned officers when issues related to people are raised in the House under Rule 280. The resolution was moved by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mohinder Goyal.
Rule 280 is an effective device for the Members to invite the government's attention to the issues relating to their Constituency, according to the Delhi Assembly website.
"During the Assembly session on Friday, I had said that when we raise issues related to people in the House, then officers should be present in the gallery of the House. But, today the position here is still the same," he said, before moving the resolution. Goyal said during discussions on starred and unstarred questions, some officers are present, but not in full strength.
"Today's, I urge you, Mr Speaker, to please ensure that their due presence will be there, only then I will raise my queries," Goyal said.
He then moved a verbal resolution to the Speaker who then put it forth before the House and was approved by it.
"I urge the secretary to send this resolution passed in the House to the CS (chief secretary) that all officers be present here under Rule 280," the Speaker said.
The resolution was passed during the ongoing Winter Session of the Assembly.
