Amid the ongoing tussle between the Speaker and All India Radio (AIR) over the Delhi Assembly Secretary, the Delhi High Court on Friday said that the decision of former Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung to repatriate the bureaucrat be placed before his successor Anil Baijal, who may wish to review the order.
“Let the L-G have a re-look at Mr. Jung’s order, but not as a direction from this court. Place it before him. If he decides not to review it, then we will take it up,” Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva told the Delhi government’s standing counsel Rahul Mehra.
No common ground
While agreeing to place the matter before Mr. Baijal, Mr. Mehra said the decision to appoint the officer, Prasanna Kumar Suryadevara, and to extend his deputation, was taken after a discussion between Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Speaker Ram Niwas Goel.
On last hearing, the court had asked the parties involved to resolve the issue amicably. On Friday, Justice Sachdeva was informed that the Director General of AIR had met the Speaker on January 13 over posting of Mr. Suryadevara, but failed to arrive at a common ground.
The DG of AIR said any decision on the bureaucrat shall be taken after the inquiry against him is completed for remaining absent and for writing an article in the print media.
Mr. Suryadevara, an officer belonging to the Newsreader-cum-Translator (Telugu) cadre, was deputed to the Delhi Assembly for a year after which Mr. Jung had relieved him. Mr. Goel, however, had refused to relieve Mr. Suryadevara, saying that as the Speaker also holds a constitutional office, the L-G cannot repatriate the Assembly Secretary without his concurrence.
