Govt wants LG to stop scrutiny of its 400 files

Asks Jung to defer work till SC decides his powers

The Delhi government wants the committee set up by up by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to scrutinize 400 files to defer work till the Supreme Court decides on the powers of the Raj Niwas in administrative work in the Union Territory.

In a public appeal to the three-member committee, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the scrutiny by the committee’s has brought the government work to a halt.

Since the final decision on the LG’s power to constitute such a committee is pending before the Supreme Court, we appeal its members to defer their work, said Sisodia, adding that even officials were being summoned by the panel without the knowledge of ministers.

The committee comprises CAG V K Shunglu, former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami and ex-Chief Vigilance Commissioner Pradeep Kumar.  “The members of panel are eminent persons, we request them not to scrutinise files till the Supreme Court rules in the matter,” he said.

‘LG doesn’t have power’

The Deputy Chief Minister  said that the Delhi Cabinet was of the view that Jung doesn’t have any power to constitute such a panel to examine files of Delhi government.

The AAP government had approached the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court order of August 4 and the apex court listed the matter for final hearing on November 15.

The LG constituted the committee on August 30 to review around 400 files submitted by the AAP government for “infirmities and irregularities” and fix responsibility of officials for suspected lapses.

The files were submitted to Raj Niwas following the August 4 Delhi High Court order dismissing the AAP government challenge to the LG’s superiority in administrative decisions in the Union Territory.

“On preliminary scrutiny of these files, it is found that over the last one-and-a-half years several decisions taken are in violation of Acts/Rules with attendant legal and financial implications.

Forward action

“It has become necessary to examine them in depth and suggest forward action. Therefore, the Committee has been constituted,” the LG’s office said in a statement.

Apart from determining if decisions taken by the AAP government without the approval of the LG are illegal, the Committee will “examine the role played by the public functionaries/officers of the GNCT of Delhi and of any other individual related with these violations and fix responsibility”.

The Committee’s mandate includes determining whether the decisions taken in these files and the processes adopted were in violation of the Acts/Rules and the constitutional scheme for governance of Government National Capital Territory of Delhi.

It will also determine, within six weeks, whether such violations were wrong, illegal and deliberate acts of omissions/ commissions, said a Raj Niwas statement.