Delhi LG writes to CM flagging 'inordinate delay' in constitution of statutory bodies, appointments

News Delhi: In a five-page letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Lt Governor VK Saxena has flagged 'inordinate delay' in the constitution of some important statutory bodies and related appointments, Raj Niwas officials said on Wednesday.

No immediate reaction was available from the AAP government over the contents of the letter.

The LG, in his letter dated February 19, also remarked that the facts bring forth a 'set pattern' being followed across departments where ministers 'hold back files for months at length for no reason' without taking any decision.

"You would agree that such omissions and commissions on the part of the government and its ministers, apart from adversely impacting the lives of millions in Delhi, also reflect poorly on the state of governance in the city and needs to be rectified," Saxena said.

The LG 'advised' the chief minister to issue a directive to his ministers to ensure that all matters submitted to them are disposed of expeditiously in larger public interest effecting accountability in governance.

In a strong worded reprimand, the LG also noted that "it would not be an overstatement if one were to assume that Delhi government is possibly the only government in the country where files are held and delayed inordinately and unjustifiably for months and years together."

The LG urged the chief minister to take 'personal interest' in the matter to avoid any recurrence of the same.

The letter cited pending constitution of a state-level monitoring committee under Plastic Waste (Management & Handling) Rule, 2011; declaration of district magistrates as responsible sanitation authority (RSA) under Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013; constitution of governing council of Rajiv Gandhi Super specialty Hospital and constitution of a search-selection committee for the appointment of chairperson to the board of governors of Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi, IIITD.

It is 'distressing' to note the 'unmindful neglect and inordinate delay' in all the four cases, said the LG.

He sought to draw the attention of the government towards 'what seems to have become a habit on the part of the government by way of inordinately and inexplicably delaying appointment/constitution of statutory bodies that are mandated with welfare of the people of Delhi'.

The proposal for state level committee on plastic waste was moved by the Urban Development department through the chief secretary in May 2023. It was with the urban development minister for nearly eight months and was forwarded in a routine and perfunctory manner to the LG, through the chief minister, without any value addition on January 16, 2024, Saxena mentioned.

The file of declaring district magistrates as RSA was submitted by UD department to the then deputy chief minister in June 2022. In September 2023, the department requested current urban development minister to expedite the matter who, after four months, finally cleared the file.

It reached for LG's approval, through the chief minister, on January 19, 2024, after a gap of 19 months since it was initiated, he said.

The file for constitution of the governing council of the Rajiv Gandhi Super specialty Hospital was submitted to the then health minister in December 2022, which was sent for the LG's approval 14 months later, in January 2024, he cited another instance.

The appointment of chairperson of IIITD was pending for five years. The IIITD after being 'stonewalled' for years moved a separate proposal for the purpose to the LG secretariat on January 30, he stated.

Further, the LG flagged delays in constitution of the state food commission and appointment of district grievance redressal officers and reconstitution of the Delhi Animal Welfare Board and its executive committee.

In both the cases, the files finally came to the LG under 'pressure' from courts and the Union government. All the while, the Delhi government kept 'misleading' the courts that the files were pending approval of the LG, he said.