Delhi govt says it has to move courts as officials not following ministers' directions

Apr 05, 2024

New Delhi [India], April 5 : Officials are not following the directions of the ministers but the Lt Governor is not taking action against them, so the Delhi government has no option but to move courts so that the 2 crore residents of Delhi do not suffer, alleged the Delhi government in a statement on Friday.
The AAP government's statement came in response to Lt Governor VK Saxena's letter to the Home Secretary.
"In such a situation, the courts of the country are the only support left for the Delhi government," the statement read.
"As elected representatives, it is our moral duty to leave no stone unturned in providing facilities to the citizens of Delhi. It is for this purpose that we are knocking on the doors of the Supreme Court. Whenever we approached the court, the court order came in the interest of the people of Delhi. We are deeply grateful to the Supreme Court," the Delhi government statement said.
The Supreme Court had ordered to hand over the services department to the elected government of Delhi, the Delhi government said adding that despite this, the Central Government has further reduced the powers of the Delhi government by enacting the GNCTD Amendment Act, which is also a violation of the Supreme Court decision.
The Delhi government said that through the GNCTD Amendment Act, bureaucrats appointed by the Centre got the right to cancel the decisions taken by the elected Chief Minister. "This Act undermines the basic principles of electoral democracy in the capital," the statement read.
Moreover, the Delhi government claimed that the officers appointed by the central government were ignoring the instructions and appeals of the Ministers.
Several important government initiatives, including Delhi Jal Board funds, Farishte scheme, bus marshals and smog towers, have been stopped by the authorities, causing hardship to two crore people of Delhi, they alleged.
The Delhi government also alleged that pending files without any reason are causing unnecessary administrative delays.
The officials are keeping the files of two crore Delhiites with themselves for an indefinite period and are not following the instructions of the Ministers, the Delhi government alleged.
Citing some examples, the state government alleged that Delhi Jal Board funds were held up for months, leading to a water crisis in the national capital.
To control pollution in Delhi during the winter season, the Delhi government decided to install smog towers. However, the civil servants got those smog towers shut down, the statement alleged.