Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday reiterated that the evident delay in relation to a file banning the use of Chinese manjha in the Capital did not occur on part of the Delhi government but at that of Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung’s.
The L-G’s office, however, responded with an immediate denial along with details regarding the movement of the said file within various levels of administration as well as the revelation that the file pertained to a draft notification – which was open to public consultation for 60 days – instead of a final legislation as the government has claimed over the last two days.
Displaying the File Movement Register’s copy to reporters at a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Sisodia said: “I received the file at 3.57 p.m. on August 9 and seeing the importance of this matter I cleared it within a few seconds.”
The Deputy Chief Minister added that the file was also cleared by Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain and the Chief Secretary on the same day.
“It was sent to the office of the Environment Secretary on August 10. The file was kept for seven days there,” he said, adding: “The delay was not on our part but it took four days at the L-G office”.
A statement was issued by Raj Niwas in reaction to Mr. Sisodia’s press conference seeking to clarify that the file related to the ban on Chinese manjha was received in the L-G’s office on August 8 (Monday) vide Diary No.25849 and, after due approval, was sent back on August 9 (Tuesday) to the Office of the Deputy Chief Minister.
The L-G’s office said that the notification placed before the L-G for approval was a draft notification stating “notice is hereby given that the said draft will be taken into consideration after the expiry of a period of sixty days from the date on which copies of the Delhi Gazette containing this notification are made available to the public together with any objections or suggestions that may be received in respect thereto within the stipulated period.”
A senior official from the L-G office said that the government had not placed a Final Notification for approval from the L-G, which would “eventually and strictly” ban the use of Chinese manjha.
Meanwhile, Minister Satyendra Jain said action will be taken against those not abiding by the ban, which can entail up to one year in jail and a penalty of up to Rs. 1 lakh.
