10 Delhi govt bills await Centre's clearance

A few bills sent back to Kejri govt seeking clarifications

As many as 10 bills sent by the Delhi government that include one to give a 400 per cent hike in basic salary of MLAs are pending with the Central government.

After President Pranab Mukherjee withheld his assent to a legislation that sought to protect 21 AAP MLAs, who have been appointed Parliamentary Secretaries, from office of profit, Home Ministry officials said 10 Bills sent by the Kejriwal government are at various stages of examination.

“During the examination of the bills, certain queries were aroused. Some of these queries are curable and some are incurable,” an official said.

The Finance Ministry is examining the bill, which seeks to give Delhi MLAs and Ministers a whopping 400 per cent hike in basic salary besides hefty increase in perks and allowances, catapulting them among the highest paid lawmakers in the country.

Certain clarifications have been sought by Finance Ministry and queries forwarded to  Delhi government, official said.

There are minor queries on the Delhi (Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services) Amendment Bill 2015 and another Bill related to upgrading Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology to a university.

“When the clarifications of these two Bills come from Delhi government, we will send them to the President for his assent,” the official said.

There were total four Bills sent by the AAP government till Dec 2015 that include the bill that sought to protect 21 AAP MLAs, who have been appointed Parliamentary Secretaries, from office of profit. Seven more Bills were sent in April 2016. After the President withheld his assent to the office of profit Bill, 10 Bills of the Delhi government are now pending with the Central government.

While in case of a few Bills, clarifications have been sought from the Delhi government and returned them, in case of a few others, opinion have been sought from different Central ministries and departments.

The pending Bills include the Janlokpal Bill 2015, the Minimum Wages (Delhi Amendment) Bill 2015, Delhi School (Verification Of Accounts and Refund of Excess Fee) Bill 2015, Delhi School Education (Amendment) Bill 2015, Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Delhi Amendment) Bill 2015 and a Bill related to working journalists.