Delhi HC asks parties to solve matter amicably

New Delhi: Observing that an Assembly Speaker knocking the door of the judiciary is an extraordinary circumstance, the Delhi high court on Friday directed the Centre and the Government of National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi to amicably resolve the issue of continuation of deputation of Delhi Assembly secretary Prasanna Kumar Suryadevara within 10 days.  

The court has issued notice to the Centre, the bureaucrat and the Delhi government, which was made a party in the matter on Friday, and sought their reply by the next date of hearing on January 17.

The court was addressing the plea filed by Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel, who had challenged the then L-G Najeeb Jung’s order repatriating the Assembly secretary, Mr Suryadevara, an officer belonging to newsreader-cum-translator (Telugu) cadre, to All-India Radio, his parent organisation.

“A Speaker coming to court is an extraordinary circumstance. This should not be thrashed out in court. He is not such an officer that the two governments (Delhi and the Centre) should fight over him. Why cannot it be resolved amicably without either party coming to court,” Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said.

Mr Goel, in his plea, also challenged the memorandums issued by AIR to Mr Suryadevara, directing him to join his parent organisation immediately failing which he will be treated to be on “unauthorised absence”. The bureaucrat has served in the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker for five years and that of the Rajya Sabha Chairman for over six years, was appointed to the post of Delhi Assembly secretary in July 2015 for a year, on expiry of which AIR had directed him to return.