SC to hear next week Delhi govt's plea on its powers

The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to consider next week appeals by the Delhi government to determine the scope of its powers following a ruling by the Constitution bench that the Lieutenant Governor has no independent authority.

A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud took into account a submission by the Delhi government that even after the Constitution bench verdict, the stalemate over who controls public services continued and that needed to be dealt with by an appropriate bench.

“It will be listed sometime next week,” the bench told lawyer Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi government.

On July 4, the Supreme Court's Constitution bench outlined the power of Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, holding that he has to act in aid and advice of Delhi government or go by the President's advice on differences of opinion. But the L-G cannot take his own independent decisions, it had said.

Notifications

The court had also said that issues regarding various notifications issued by the Delhi government in exercise of its administrative and legislative powers would be dealt with separately by an appropriate smaller bench.

The matter pending for consideration related to several notifications issued by the Delhi government. The Delhi High Court had on August 4, 2016 quashed those notifications, holding the Lieutenant Governor was the administrative head of the National Capital Territory (NCT) government of Delhi.