Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday accused lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal of crippling Delhi and demanded 'powers' enjoyed by Sheila Dikshit Government should be restored to his Government. The powers, Kejriwal referred to in his speech during a discussion in the Assembly on an “Outcome Report” on the performance of the lieutenant Governor's office, included the authority to take vigilance and disciplinary action against government officers.
Kejriwal said that Delhi is facing an unprecedented and strange scenario where the elected government, which is responsible and accountable to people is devoid of powers and the BJP appointed lG enjoys unlimited powers without any responsibility.
“ In our view, powers of the government elected by the residents of Delhi should be restored without any further delay, adding, “Transfers/postings of officers working with the Delhi government can only be decided by the elected government,” Kejriwal said.
“Services should be handed over to the elected government and vigilance powers can only be exercised by the government elected by the people,” he said.
He further added that in matters where the legislative Assembly has the competence to make laws, the powers to take decisions should be with the elected government and files of such matters should not be sent to the lG to avoid unnecessary hurdles and delays.
lG should be allowed to exercise his difference of opinion with the council of ministers in matters mentioned in Reserved Subjects of the Constitution and in matters where functioning of the central government will be affected ,” he added further.
Kejriwal launched an all out attack on lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal for “stalling” his government's works and urged for all powers that the state government had during his Congress predecessor Sheila Dikshit's tenure be restored.
Comparing the functioning of his government with previous government led by Shiela Dikshit, he said that previous government was in office for 15 years.
“Shiela Dikshit government had the power of transfer/postings of officers. Her government could appoint good officers in important positions and transfer/penalize non-performing officers,” said Kejriwal highlighting the present situation of government, he further said , “Transfer / Postings of officers have been snatched away from our government since May 2015,” “Now the chief minster does not have the powers to transfer employees.”
Dikshit government had powers to arrest and jail corrupt officers, “this power was snatched away by the Modi government three months after we came to power,” he said.
On power issues, Kejriwal said that Dikshit government had the power to order vigilance probes on complaints received against officers whereas in this case also the power has been taken away from us.
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister said that Dikshit government had powers to arrest and jail corrupt officers, “this power was snatched away by the Modi government three months after we came to power,” quoted government press statement.
Kejriwal demanded that the Services Department and Anti Corruption Branch should be given back to Delhi government, powers for transfer, posting and vigilance inquiry into officers, should be restored and all files should not be sent to the lieutenant Governor for approval.
The Chief Minister said that the lG was accountable only to the Bharatiya Janata Party, who appointed him and Baijal does things which Hitler would not have done. Kejriwal said that a proposal for Delhi Health Corporation was rejected by the lieutenant Governor with a note “I don't think it's a good idea.”
“Which rule was it violatingIJ like this even Hitler won't do,” he said, adding that by not filling vacancies and saving corrupt officers, the lt. Governor wants to end the work happening in Delhi.
Kejriwal and Baijal have clashed on several issues in the past. The chief minister has accused the lG of creating hurdles in the functioning of the Aam Aadmi Party government.
Baijal had red-flagged a few provisions in the ambitious programme for doorstep delivery of public services, before he finally cleared it in January after two months.
“lG is behaving like a head master. Not even our teachers bothered us so much,” Kejriwal said during the discussion on the “Outcome Report”.
The report details the alleged hurdles created by the l-G's office in the execution of Delhi government projects. It was tabled in the House earlier this week.The chief minister said the l-G has admitted in a response to the report that he did not clear around 300 files sent to him.
“While he (l-G) passed 97 per cent files concerning routine matters, he did not clear 300 files that were related with policy,” he said. A “misunderstanding” is being created that all was good when Congress governed Delhi, but AAP fights on every issue, he said.