New Delhi: Former civil servants who served in Delhi have told ThePrint that the amendments on governance in the national capital, which the Modi government is set to enforce, may be a step in the right direction and could bring about a balance between the elected government and the lieutenant governor (L-G).
The Modi government Monday moved a bill in the Lok Sabha that seeks to amend the National Capital Territory of Delhi Act 1991, to further “define the responsibilities of the elected government and lieutenant governor of Delhi”.
The draft of the GNCTD Act (Amendment) Bill, cleared last month, seeks to ensure that the L-G is “necessarily granted an opportunity” to give his/her opinion before any decision by the council of ministers or the Delhi cabinet is taken.
The bill proposes to amend Sections 21, 24, 33 and 44 of the 1991 Act, under which Delhi became a Union Territory with a legislature, and in effect grant more powers to the L-G.
Under the current Act, the Legislative Assembly of Delhi has the power to make laws in all matters except land, police and order. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition Congress are opposed to the changes, on the grounds that the amendments grant the L-G a greater say in the governance of the national capital.
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Discussion, collaboration key to good governance
For former civil servants, the amendments are the result of the elected governments’ tussle with the L-G over the years.
Shakuntala Gamlin, a 1984-batch officer, who briefly served as the Delhi chief secretary briefly in 2015 and was also at the heart of the Kejriwal and Najeeb Jung war, feels the amendments are a step in the direction of bringing some balance in exercise of powers in Delhi.
“It is important to follow the law and remain in touch with the constitutional provisions for effective governance of the people,” Gamlin told ThePrint adding that else it just ends up being bad politics.
According to former Delhi finance secretary Shakti Sinha, the amendment might be a result of “things” over the years. “It is only natural for AAP to be concerned at this point but at the end of the day, delegation of power needs to be done keeping people-centric governance in mind,” he added.
Another retired IAS officer, who has worked with the AAP-led government in Delhi, however, feels that the elected government invited this upon itself. “At one point you stopped DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) from taking cops to the border since you wish to support the cause of farmers,” he said. “So then how will they go…does one call for buses from another UT?”
K.S. Mehra, the last commissioner of an unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) feels the bill is being brought to ensure unity of powers. “The MCDs have to now report to various authorities and this makes their functioning very tedious,” he said, adding that there is a need for an urban governance model.
AAP, Congress on same page
The amendment has brought the Congress and AAP on the same page.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had Monday accused the BJP of seeking to drastically curtail the elected powers of the government in Delhi. In a media briefing after the bill was tabled Monday, deputy CM Manish Sisodia alleged that the amendments were a ploy by the Centre to incapacitate the Delhi government.
AAP cabinet minister Gopal Rai Tuesday said the party will protest the Centre’s move at Jantar Mantar Wednesday, which will see Kejriwal, party MLAs and MPs attend.
The Congress has also opposed the move.
The party’s Delhi unit will mark Wednesday as a Black Day to protest the decision.
Former Congress MLA and former Parliamentary Secretary to the Delhi CM, Anil Bhardwaj, said that the bill will not only considerably dilute the powers of the Delhi government but is also a direct assault on the people of Delhi who elect the government.
“If the bill is passed, it will be a murder of democracy,” he said.
The BJP, however, feels that the fears are exaggerated.
“Even after the amendment bill, 75 per cent of the administrative work and powers will be with Delhi’s AAP government,” Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said. “It is better that Arvind Kejriwal focuses on providing good governance instead of starting any new power struggle.”
Officials of the Delhi government who didn’t wish to be named, meanwhile, said that this decision will mean that House panels will become void. “There will also be increased friction between the union government, the legislature and the executive in this case from now on,” a senior government official told ThePrint.
Delhi govt had roped in IIM-A panel to study administrative model
The Delhi government had in January roped in IIM-Ahmedabad to study and develop “an appropriate administrative structure” for the city to address the issue of multiplicity of agencies.
The team, led by Professor Sundaravalli Narayanaswami of IIM-A, was yet to start work and now with the bill is unsure of its role.
“With the bill being passed, I don’t know what our role is,” former Delhi chief secretary P.K. Tripathi, who is a member of the committee, told ThePrint. “But having worked with the government, I can say Delhi’s case is complex. I will, however, maintain that the chief minister should have more operational powers subject to the L-G.”
(Edited by Arun Prashanth)
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Delhi has become a slum under Kejriwal, vested interests have led to increase in crime due to encroachers and drug peddlers roaming in the city and snatching mobile phones. Need to end freebie culture which is attracting lazy people in the city.