The BJP MLAs met Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung on Thursday and urged him to ensure that the Delhi government tables the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission Report and the Jan Lokpal Bill in the coming session of the Delhi Assembly, which starts from November 18.
They alleged that it was rather a “strategy” of the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government to financially starve the three municipal corporations.
The delegation led by Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta, stressed that despite its abundant duty and constitutional obligations, the government is “strategically dilly-dallying” the introduction of these Bills in the Assembly. It also expressed concern about the efforts of Mr. Kejriwal to dilute the Lokayukta Act to make it toothless.
“The behaviour of the Kejriwal Government has so far shown that it lacks political will to introduce these two key issues because it wants to stifle and financially starve East, North and South Delhi Municipal Corporations keeping in view the elections to the local bodies to be held in early 2017,” said Mr. Gupta.
He added that they requested the L-G to advise Mr Kejriwal to rise above politics and immediately take steps to introduce these two key issues in Vidhan Sabha and adopt them in the interest of Delhiites’ welfare and city’s development.
To this, BJP MLA from Vishwas Nagar, OP Sharma said, “The Delhi Government wishes to scuttle tabling of the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission Report by expressing its intent to seek the recommendation of the Central Government on its implementation. There is no law, rule or constitutional provision which stipulates that the State Government is required to seek approval of the Central Government for implementation of the Finance Commission Report. It is the sole prerogative of the State government.”
The Jan Lokpal Bill would make it possible to look into corruption charges and complete investigation and prosecution within a short span of six months.
“But, it appears that Kejriwal, who boasts of zero tolerance for corruption, wants to shield its corrupt and fraudulent MLAs and is therefore, playing shy of introducing Bill in the Vidhan Sabha,” said Jagdish Pradhan, BJP MLA from Mustafabad
“Implementation of the Bill becomes all the more essential in view of the charges of corruption and mal-practices in a number of important public dealing areas including onion, sugar, pulses, and advertisement and water vending machine scandals,” he added.
Urging the L-G to ensure that the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission Report and Jan Lokpal Bill are tabled in the upcoming Delhi Assembly session, the legislators alleged it was a “strategy” of the Kejriwal government to financially starve the three
municipal corporations
