Lt- Governor sitting over file on CM’s Singapore visit to attend World Cities Summit: AAP
NEW DELHI: Another tussle seems to be building up between the AAP government and the Delhi
Lt- Governor V K Saxena, with the former alleging that the L-G was “sitting over” several important files, including one regarding Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Singapore visit to attend the World Cities Summit, scheduled on August 2-3.
“Smallest of matters pertaining to Delhi are being sat on for a long time due to the L-G’s inexperience which is causing long delays in public interest work in Delhi. These also include many such files on which L-G has nothing to aid or advice. Despite this, the files have been pending with him for a long time,” said a source.
The chief minister is scheduled to attend the Summit in Singapore to present the Delhi model of governance, but the L-G has withheld the clearance of the file since June 7, the sources said. Singapore High Commissioner Simon Wong had invited Kejriwal to take part in the Summit, which is a platform for government leaders and industry experts to address liveable and sustainable city challenges, share integrated urban solutions and forge new partnerships.
This is not the first time that Kejriwal’s attendance at an international summit has been in the news. In 2019, the Ministry of External Affairs had denied him permission to attend the Copenhagen C40 World Mayors’ Summit in Denmark.
AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said the CM has to leave by the end of July to attend the Summit. “Singapore High Commission officials have asked me several times about his plans and it is so embarrassing for me to tell them that the file is stuck in the L-G’s office,” he said.
Urged Saxena to give his clearance to Kejriwal’s visit at the earliest, Bhardwaj said the CM’s participation in the Summit will raise the stature of Delhi as well as that of the L-G before the global community.
The L-G office was yet to react to the allegations.