L-G carefully using 'file notings' to hinder govt's work, alleges Kejriwal

Pointing at a file with notings from the office of the Lieutenant Governor, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused L-G VK Saxena of carefully obstructing his government’s effort to send its teachers to Finland for training.

The CM’s scathing attack comes three days after the AAP government alleged that the L-G rejected the proposed training of primary teaching in-charges and educators of the State Council of Educational Research and training (SCERT) in Finland. He also termed it an attack on Delhi’s “education model”.

Reading out the objections raised by the L-G on the Finland file, Kejriwal said: “If a CM or education minister approves sending teachers abroad – with taxpayers’ money – that should be a final call, but here all files go to the L-G.”

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He further said the file clearly has notings asking the government to conduct the training in India. With the kind of questions being raised in the notings – the efficacy of such a programme and the need for a detailed cost-benefit assessment – it shows the L-G is carefully employing tactics to stall the proposal, reiterated the CM.

Explaining the rationale behind his march to the L-G’s house, Kejriwal said the file to send educators to Finland has been returned twice, raising some objection or the other. “I don’t want to face a third rejection,” he said

Kejriwal also hit out at Saxena for ordering a cost-benefit analysis. Returning files repeatedly with notings on it is nothing but an attempt to hinder government’s work, he remarked.

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Going a step further, the Delhi CM accused the L-G of having a “feudal mindset” and compared the L-G to the British viceroy and asked if the people of India, who fought for independence, need to be subjected to dictatorial tendencies.

In a series of tweets, Raj Niwas, calling the allegations “misleading and mischievously motivated”, said the L-G’s office had only advised the government to identify similar programmes in India. The proposal was not rejected, whereas the govt was only asked to assess the effectiveness of such programmes.

Insisting on confidentiality, a senior official in Delhi government said, “The process through which an elected government and constitutional figures, especially L-G and the Governor usually communicate on an issue is through file notings.

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File notings are always used to seek clarifications and should not necessarily be seen as a ploy to block government’s decision. However, he declined to comment on whether in case of the file to send thirty educators to Finland can be seen as an attempt to reject the Delhi government’s proposal.

The Federal reached out to the press secretary to L-G, seeking a comment on Delhi CM’s allegation on L-G carefully stalling the proposal. However, there was no response from the functionary.

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Explaining the constitutional arrangement, Rajesh Kumar, Delhi- based constitutional expert says, “The L-G has executive control over only three reserved subjects — police, land and public order. All other subjects ( transferred subjects) are with the elected government. But there is a caveat. By virtue of L-G controlling the bureaucracy, and exercising power to suspend, transfer or take any action against any employee of Delhi government, the L-G’s authority extends beyond the three entries.”

The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on the dispute between Delhi and the Centre on the contentious issue of who should control administrative services in Delhi over the transfers and postings of officers in the national capital.