The recurrent ‘jurisdictional fight’ between the Arvind Kejriwal government and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has reached such a point that even a slight delay on part of the L-G office to clear even routine work kicks off speculations, especially in the bureaucratic and media circles. A recent example is the approval of AAP legislator Kapil Mishra’s name as the replacement for ex-Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar in the Arvind Kejriwal Cabinet. Mr. Mishra’s name was suggested by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to the L-G a day after Mr. Tomar resigned on Tuesday.
With swearing-in not being in sight for the next few days, speculations were rife at the Secretariat as to whether the city is up for yet another showdown — only to realise later that the delay was due to the arrival of assent from the President who was travelling.
Officers in the BJP-led municipal corporations found themselves in a pickle last week when they were asked to attend a Delhi Government event, which was basically held in response to the failure of the civic bodies to pay salaries.
With the East and North civic bodies struggling to pay employees and the sanitation staff going on strike, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a ‘dialogue’ with the municipal staff at Ramlila Maidan on June 8.
The government sent an invite, or rather a notice of sorts, to the three municipal commissioners, asking them to turn up at the event and to make sure their staff did as well.
The BJP leadership in the corporations were upset at being left out. North Delhi Mayor Ravinder Gupta even wrote to Mr. Kejriwal, expressing his displeasure.
A senior official said the BJP leadership had first hinted that it would be unhappy if the officers attended the event, but later realised that the municipal staff would have to go since the letter was from the Director of Local Bodies.
On the day of the event, the BJP held a protest against the AAP Government opposite the Ramlila Maidan’s entrance, leading an official to remark that the municipal leaders would know exactly who attended the event.
A rule imposed unilaterally by the Delhi High Court Bar Association, giving priority to lawyers, at the railway reservation counter on the court premises has led to frequent arguments and scuffles at the window. A notice put up at the counter since about a year says lawyers would be given priority in the booking of tickets.
Even as the litigants and general public wait in long queue in the sweltering heat, a lawyer gets a ticket within minutes. This makes it difficult for the public to get tickets especially in the Tatkal category. Litigants coming to the counter point out that the notice is against the railway rules, as there is no provision for according priority to a specific category of professionals at a reservation counter opened in any building or complex. A railway official also said a private body cannot affix such a notice at the counter.
