Delhi Government Faces Suffocation of Services As Lieutenant Governor's Order Restricts Engagement Of Advisors

On Thursday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed that the recent order issued by the Lieutenant Governor, which prohibits the engagement of advisors and fellows without his approval, will result in the complete suffocation of the Delhi government's services and operations. Arvind Kejriwal expressed his concern over the new orders through Twitter referring to Supreme Court.

On Wednesday, the Services Department, which is under the authority of the Lieutenant Governor, sent a letter to various departments, boards, commissions, and autonomous bodies within the Delhi government. The letter instructed them to cease engaging individuals as fellows and advisors unless they have obtained prior approval from the Lieutenant Governor.

This directive comes shortly after Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena terminated the services of approximately 400 "specialists" appointed by the Kejriwal government in various departments. The Lieutenant Governor cited alleged irregularities in the recruitment process as the reason for this decision. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) administration criticized the move as "unconstitutional" and intends to challenge it in court.

The letter further stated that the Delhi Legislative Assembly lacks the authority to appoint or engage such personnel without the approval of the Lieutenant Governor.

Additionally, the Services Department instructed the Finance Department to withhold salary disbursement for individuals engaged without the Lieutenant Governor's approval. They also directed other departments to submit their cases to the Lieutenant Governor with appropriate justification for consideration.

Previously, the Lieutenant Governor's office had asserted that the appointments made did not adhere to the constitutional reservation policy for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes.

This development arises amidst the ongoing dispute between the Delhi government and the central government regarding the control of the city's bureaucracy. While a Supreme Court order in May granted control to the Delhi government, the central government issued a special order to reclaim authority a few days later.