NEW DELHI: Slamming the Delhi government in a case involving the dispute between the Centre and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) regarding powers and transfer of bureaucrats, the central government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that a wrong perception was being created that the Lieutenant Governor is running the show.
“What we are dealing with is a matter of perception and not a matter of constitutional law. The perception that is being created is that L-G does everything; we (GNCTD) are just symbolic; we can do nothing without the L-G’s sanction,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before the five-judge bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud.
He pointed out that the government structure emerged in 1992, after which several governments came to power at the Centre and in the state. “So far everything had been going on smoothly,” he added, stating that until now, only seven matters have been referred by the LG to the President registering difference of opinion. He also said that civil services posts are created by the Centre.
For the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government, senior advocate AM Singhvi argued that people’s will would be negated if GNCTD doesn’t have power over the transfer of bureaucrats. On Tuesday, Singhvi said that the government cannot function unless it has the power regarding the transfer of GNCTD civil servants belonging to the all-India services.
“I cannot create a post, I cannot transfer from post A to B, cannot do anything in relation to civil service,” he said.