Parliament passes bill that gives primacy to Lieutenant Governor in Delhi

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday approved the bill giving primacy to Delhis Lieutenant Governor LG over the elected government after high drama in the House that saw uproar by the opposition and a walkout by MPs of parties like the BJD SP Congress and the YSRCongressThe Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Amendment Bill 2021 that seeks to make it clear that the government in Delhi means the Lieutenant Governor was passed by Lok Sabha on March 22The legislation was passed in Rajya Sabha by a voice vote on Wednesday However a division was sought by the opposition when the government moved the bill for consideration During voting 83 members were in favour while 45 opposed the bill Just before the passage of the bill the Congress too walked outEarlier Rajya Sabha witnessed uproar by opposition members who termed the bill as unconstitutional and demanded that it be sent to a Select Committee for scrutiny The upper house also witnessed two brief adjournments The members of the BJD SP and the YSRCongress also walked out of the HouseReplying to the debate Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy sought to dispel the concerns of the opposition members saying the amendments in the Act would create a sound government mechanism in the NCT of DelhiHe said it will improve equity and inclusiveness The amendment will lead to transparency and clarity in governance in NCT Delhi and enhance public accountability he addedExplaining the rationale behind the bill he said the amendments have been brought to remove ambiguities in the 1991 Act He stressed that changes in the law have been sought in the spirit of what has been said in the Supreme Court judgement He asserted there was no political angle and the amendments are on technical groundsAccording to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill the original bill was enacted to supplement the provisions of the Constitution relating to the legislative assembly and a Council of Ministers for Delhi and for matters connected therewithIt said that to give effect to the interpretation made by the Supreme Court which had ruled that the city government need not obtain the Lieutenant Governors concurrence of every issue of daytoday governance the bill has been broughtThe said bill will promote harmonious relations between the legislature and the executive and further define the responsibilities of the elected government and the LG in line with the constitutional scheme of governance of the National Capital Territory of Delhi as interpreted by the Supreme Court the statement of objects saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever