The ongoing Winter Session of the Delhi Assembly is all set to repeat February 2014 contentious debate on the introduction of the proposed Delhi Jan lokpal Bill.
The Administrative Reforms department of the Delhi Government is finalising the Delhi Jan lokpal Bill despite several procedural questions. The Bill being a “Finance Bill” must be sent to the Centre before presenting it in the Delhi Assembly as the Act stipulates, said sources, adding that since the Centre too has passed lokpal Bill, the Delhi Government cannot go ahead without seeking the consent of the Centre.
If the AAP Government insiders are to be believed, there are indications
that the Government was planning to introduce the proposed Bill without getting it approved either by the Centre or lieutenant-Governor
Najeeb Jung.
Under pressure from the BJP, the Congress and the social media trends on Jan lokpal, the Arvind Kejriwal Government passed the Bill and the Government is again planning to introduce the Bill in the ongoing Winter Session of the Assembly.
“The Government strategy will be to get the Bill passed by the House first and later send it to either the l-G or the Centre,” said sources, adding that the basic idea of the lokpal Bill is to get maximum political mileage.
“As per the Transaction of Business Rules (TBR), any Bill which has financial implications can be introduced in the Delhi Assembly only after getting it approved by the l-G or the Centre. But the AAP Government intends to bring in a Jan lokpal Bill without approval of the Centre and the l-G,” said the sources.
It is also noted that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had resigned from Government after a 49-day stint last year when the BJP and the Congress united against its tabling, saying the move was “unconstitutional” as the draft did not have the consent of the l-G.
An AAP leader said the situation has changed. The l-G cannot prevent the tabling of the Jan lokpal Bill in the House.
“If the l-G tries to prevent it, the Government will resort to voting and any order by the l- G will be defeated in the House,” said the AAP leader.