New Delhi: In a huge blow to the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi, the Home Ministry has issued a notification saying that the Lieutenant Governor has primacy in postings and transfers of officers.
Union Home Ministry in a gazette notification has specified the role and powers of the Lt Governor. The Home Ministry has said that the L-G has jurisdiction over matters of services, public order, police and land.
With neither Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal not Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung backing off from their stand on appointment of bureaucrats to key positions, the National Capital Territory of Delhi is facing a constitutional crisis.
Even though the NCT of Delhi is a Union Territory, it has an elected legislature. Hence the state Assembly has the right to legislate on all subjects except land and law and order but if there is a conflict with Parliament, then the will of the latter prevails.
Kejriwal maintains that even though Delhi is not a full-fledged state, his government has the right to appoint officers of its choice to key positions whereas Jung maintains that he has the powers to make appointments without consulting the elected government.
The two sides have been at loggerheads for several days resulting in unease in the bureaucracy. The crisis started when Jung appointed senior Indian Administrative Officer (IAS) Shakuntala Gamlin as action Chief Secretary of Delhi without consulting the Aam Aadmi Party government.
Kejriwal and his ministers hit back at Jung immediately and accused him of playing politics in connivance with the Centre to destabilise the AAP government. Both sides have also dragged President Pranab Mukherjee into the controversy.
Comments
0 comment