Won't let Lieutenant Governor derail projects, says Manish Sisodia

New Delhi: Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia accused Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and the Prime Minister’s Office of stalling the Delhi government’s ambitious projects, including the setting up of mohalla clinics across the Capital.

“We will not allow the L-G to undermine the people’s interest. If there is a need to request him, we will do so, and if there is also a need to fight with him, we will do the same. Without the PMO’s instruction, the LG can’t create hurdles,” Mr Sisodia told a news agency, adding that he is sitting on crucial files relating to public welfare projects.

The Delhi government is locked in a tussle with the IAS Officers Association and Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (DANICS) Officers Association after they came out with a joint resolution, accusing the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Cabinet of humiliating bureaucrats and issuing gag orders.

Rubishing the claim, the CM said the bureaucrats working with the Delhi government are being “threatened” and “provoked” by the PMO and L-G to revolt against him.

“The PM is bitter about Delhi because of huge loss (in the Delhi Assembly elections), so the PMO is creating hurdles in the working of the Delhi government through the L-G,” said Mr Sisodia.

Mr Jung had set up a three-member panel to study the alleged irregularities by the Kejriwal government following an August 4 Delhi high court ruling, giving primacy to the L-G in the Delhi administration, but the Delhi government had challenged the high court order in the Supreme Court.

On December 14, the top court observed the government should have some powers for it to function properly. It also listed for final disposal the appeal of the Delhi government against the August 4 Delhi HC verdict. He said the government is “confident” that the SC judgement will be in its favour, after which “hurdles being created by the Centre” will stop.

“The government is fully confident that the SC’s order will be in its favour,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Shunglu committee, which was formed to examine over 400 files on decisions taken by the AAP regime, has stated in its report that out of 400 files sent by the government for clearance, the L-G has returned over 100 files.