Services row: SC to consider listing plea of Delhi govt against central law

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday told the Delhi government that it would consider listing its plea challenging the central government's law establishing pre-eminence of the lieutenant governor over the elected dispensation in controlling services in the national capital.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was urged by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the AAP government, that the whole administration has come to a standstill and the matter needed to be heard.

The CJI said presently a nine-judge bench matter is going on and he will consider the submission.

Presently, the nine-judge bench headed by the CJI is hearing petitions raising a vexed legal question whether private properties can be considered 'material resources of the community' under Article 39(b) of the Constitution, which is a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy.

The top court had earlier referred to a five-judge Constitution bench the Delhi government's plea challenging the Centre's May 19, last year ordinance which took away the control over services from the city dispensation and set off a fresh tussle between the two power centres.

Later, a central law replaced the ordinance on the issue.