Delay in ban on Chinese kite string to rock Assembly

The AAP government is likely to face the heat in the four-day Assembly session starting from Monday over alleged delay of over an year in imposing a ban on deadly Chinese kite string, which claimed three lives last week.

The Opposition is ready with its ammunition to go all out against the Kejriwal government in the House, amid fresh documentary proof indicating that the government failed to act promptly despite a draft notification to ban the Chinese string being ready as far back as May 27, 2015.

The draft notification prepared by the then Additional Environment Secretary Kulanand Joshi had got the approval of Chief Secretary K K Sharma and the Environment Secretary’s approval in 2015 but it never reached its logical conclusion, show documents accessed by DH.

Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta of the BJP, said his party would raise the issue in the House. “Can there be any bigger lapse in governance than the delay over the notification,” he said.  

Fresh documents with DH reveal that the draft notification issued by the Delhi government on August 16, seeking public objections, was advised as far back as May 27, 2015 but the process did not move forward.

The Environment Department in 2015 presented before the AAP government a similar notification of 1992 and suggested that the Gazette Notification on ban should be preceded by invitation of public objections and the process under the Environment Protection Act had to be conducted under the name of the Lieutenant-Governor, who was the competent authority for such matters.

Sources said the Law Department’s suggestion to route the file of draft notification on banning Chinese kite string was not followed in 2015, delaying the entire process till the recent Delhi High Court’s reminder to the government two months ago.

At present, public objections have been invited till October 15 over a draft notification seeking to ban Chinese string. Till that process is completed over the next two months, the AAP government has got a special order issued by the Divisional Commissioner banning for a month manufacture, storage, and usage of “sharp manja/nylon manja”.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has blamed the Raj Niwas and the Environment Secretary for delay in the ban formalities over the past fortnight.

The Leader of Opposition said: “The AAP government has to answer why it failed to act in public interest in 2015.”

He said the unconstitutional activity of the AAP government knows no bound and will be questioned in the House.

Kejriwal’s political carrier was born out of demonstration, yet, he unauthorisedly imposes Section 144 outside his residence, said Gupta.

The Opposition also plans to corner the AAP government over alleged nepotism in recruitment.

He also vowed to raise the issue of AAP government engaging a private company to appoint contract workers throughout Delhi government without calling tenders.