NEW DELHI: Calling LG VK Saxena’s decision to temporarily dissolve Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDCD) as “petty politics”, Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday said it would challenge the order in the court.
Delhi urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that all commissions, committees and boards of Centre and state govts across India, including those in BJP-governed states, often had political appointees, engaged without any formal tests or interviews.
“This is a longstanding and widely accepted practice. Various public commissions, such as the women commission, SC/ST commission and minorities’ commission, exemplify this tradition,” Bharadwaj said, giving examples of various BJP functionaries who were appointed as the heads of such bodies. Even Saxena’s appointment as lieutenant governor is a political appointment made without any advertisement, test or interview, he claimed.
The chief minister heads DDCD as its chairman and only he has powers to take action on its members, Delhi govt said in a statement. The sole purpose of Saxena’s order is to stop all the work and stall policy reforms, which has been his singular contribution to the governance of Delhi ever since he assumed office, it alleged.
“We will challenge this illegal order of the LG in the courts. DDCD was constituted vide gazette notification, which was approved by the then LG of Delhi,” govt said in a statement.
Referring to sections 3 and 8 of the notification, govt said the non-official members of the think-tank were appointed solely by the decision of CM and only he had powers to remove them before the completion of their term.
“However, in brazen disregard of existing rules and laws as well as decisions of his predecessors, LG, acting in collusion with officers of the services department, has chosen to exceed the jurisdiction of his office and tried to usurp the powers of the elected CM of Delhi by taking action on DDCD,” the govt statement read.
“The appointment process for the vice-chairperson and members of DDCD is similar to the process followed for public commissions in all state govts across India, including in BJP govts,” it added. The statement added that DDCD made a “defining” contribution in shaping many flagship policies and welfare schemes of govt.
“In the process of hating the elected govt, LG has started hating the people of Delhi,” govt alleged.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, however, alleged that AAP govt misused the body for financial uplift of political allies. “The Arvind Kejriwal govt had announced the setting up of DDCD to enhance Delhi’s development and administrative framework and had intended to appoint experts from their respective fields. But it used the commission as a means to permanently place AAP workers,” Sachdeva said.
Delhi urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that all commissions, committees and boards of Centre and state govts across India, including those in BJP-governed states, often had political appointees, engaged without any formal tests or interviews.
“This is a longstanding and widely accepted practice. Various public commissions, such as the women commission, SC/ST commission and minorities’ commission, exemplify this tradition,” Bharadwaj said, giving examples of various BJP functionaries who were appointed as the heads of such bodies. Even Saxena’s appointment as lieutenant governor is a political appointment made without any advertisement, test or interview, he claimed.
The chief minister heads DDCD as its chairman and only he has powers to take action on its members, Delhi govt said in a statement. The sole purpose of Saxena’s order is to stop all the work and stall policy reforms, which has been his singular contribution to the governance of Delhi ever since he assumed office, it alleged.
“We will challenge this illegal order of the LG in the courts. DDCD was constituted vide gazette notification, which was approved by the then LG of Delhi,” govt said in a statement.
Referring to sections 3 and 8 of the notification, govt said the non-official members of the think-tank were appointed solely by the decision of CM and only he had powers to remove them before the completion of their term.
“However, in brazen disregard of existing rules and laws as well as decisions of his predecessors, LG, acting in collusion with officers of the services department, has chosen to exceed the jurisdiction of his office and tried to usurp the powers of the elected CM of Delhi by taking action on DDCD,” the govt statement read.
“The appointment process for the vice-chairperson and members of DDCD is similar to the process followed for public commissions in all state govts across India, including in BJP govts,” it added. The statement added that DDCD made a “defining” contribution in shaping many flagship policies and welfare schemes of govt.
“In the process of hating the elected govt, LG has started hating the people of Delhi,” govt alleged.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, however, alleged that AAP govt misused the body for financial uplift of political allies. “The Arvind Kejriwal govt had announced the setting up of DDCD to enhance Delhi’s development and administrative framework and had intended to appoint experts from their respective fields. But it used the commission as a means to permanently place AAP workers,” Sachdeva said.
