What government officials want from the Delhi ordinance bill?

When asked about what they expect from the bill, former Delhi chief secretary P K Tripathi said “there should be clarity in matters of governance which will suffer if there is a confusion among the bureaucracy over the official chain of command. Any lack of clarity hampers governance.”

He further stated that chief minister should have more control over the bureaucracy so that he can execute governance and development-related works properly. “However, the fact is that Delhi chief minister never had power over the bureaucracy. It’s because…Delhi still remains a Union Territory,” Tripathi said.

A Delhi bureaucrat advocated that Union government should have ultimate control over administrative services.

“For a place like Delhi which is the national capital, it is essential that the control should be with the Centre because even through transferred subjects, one can wreak havoc with the system,” the officer who did not wish to be named said.

Another senior officer in the Delhi government hoped that the passage of the bill will “streamline governance” by settling the issue of control over administrative services.

“The bill essentially brings services matter within the domain of LG. It means any prevailing confusion among officers over whether to follow instructions of the elected dispensation or the LG will be finally put to rest for the time being,” the officer stated.

Delhi ordinance bill: Why AAP is opposing the bill?

The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, granting the lieutenant governor authority over the transfer and posting of city government officials, faced strong opposition protests when tabled in the Lok Sabha. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) condemned the bill as “undemocratic,” warning it would lead to a “babucracy” and undermine democracy.

(With inputs from PTI)

Updated: 02 Aug 2023, 09:04 AM IST