NEW DELHI : Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Friday apprised the High Court that he has not passed any order to withhold allocation of funds to the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights pending an inquiry and a special audit over allegations of misuse of funds.
The LG’s counsel told Justice Subramonium Prasad, who was hearing the issue DCPCR, a statutory watchdog of the city government on child rights, that the “so-called” press release annexed with the petition was never issued by the LG. “On instructions I am stating that no order was ever passed by the LG stopping the funding. This so called press release is never issued by the LG. This is quite serious,” he said.
Further, the court asked the counsel to file an affidavit in the matter within four days.The matter will be heard further on January 25.
In the previous hearing, Justice Prasad, while going through a press note on the LG’s action, had observed that certain portions of the document took a “political colour” while asking LG’s counsel to seek instructions in the matter. The DCPCR has said in its petition that such a setback paralyses a statutorily protected and independent institution, putting at risk emergency response systems for children facing violence, child labour, and begging.
The plea said any attempt to withhold or reduce the funds to DCPCR is a violation of its autonomy and threat to its survival.