NEW DELHI: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday wrote another letter to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena asking him to approve the proposal to send Delhi government school teachers to Finland for a training programme. Sisodia, who holds the education portfolio, cited government rules and said the L-G “cannot put such proposals on hold” for more than 15 days.
“It has been a month that the L-G has put the teachers’ training proposal on hold. According to Rule 49 of the amended Transaction of Business of GNCTD 2021, in case of a difference of opinion between the LG and the Minister regarding any matter, the LG must endeavour to resolve the difference of opinion through discussion within 15 days,” he said in his letter to Saxena. He claimed that the L-G has raised objections to the proposal and stalled the file twice despite receiving the government’s approval. Sisodia has written at least twice before to the L-G over the issue.
“As per the Constitution and Transaction of Business Rules 1993, education is a transferred subject and GNCTD has exclusive executive control over it. Therefore, the L-G has no powers to take any decision in the matter of education,” the Aam Aadmi Party leader said. If the L-G differs with any decision of any minister, “he may refer the matter to the President”, Sisodia said in his letter.
“but before referring the matter, he is required to try and resolve it through discussions with the Minister concerned ...,” he said. The government said that it has examined the proposal, including a cost-benefit analysis, and found that the training programme is essential to improve the quality of education in the national capital. Therefore, the repeated objections raised by the L-G are unwarranted and are delaying the implementation of a crucial programme that could benefit Delhi’s students.