Delhi L-G Anil Baijal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Wednesday targeted L-G Anil Baijal while presenting his ‘report card’ in the Delhi Assembly, asking if his only role was to “paralyse” the government and “protect corrupt officers”. While AAP MLAs protested after the session, demanding Baijal’s resignation, the L-G office said the report was “incorrect” and that it would present a detailed “factual response” on Thursday.
Sisodia, while presenting the report, said the L-G has only two powers — he can either have “differences of opinion on the government’s decision or he may send the proposal to the President”. Hitting out at Baijal, he said, “Is the L-G’s institution a local guardian of all corrupt officers?”
Sisodia added that the L-G was “paralysing” the government by finding ways to connect every AAP policy as a “service” matter.
The report card, ‘Outcomes of the office of the Lieutenant Governor’, states that of the 32 policy proposals that the Delhi government sent to Baijal for approval, 15 or 46.8% schemes have been approved, with an average delay of 157 days or roughly five months.
The alleged delays range from a maximum of 402 days for the higher education loan guarantee and a minimum of 21 days for the approval of the doorstep delivery of services.
The L-G office issued a statement and said, “The report prima facie appears to contain incorrect facts in a deliberate attempt to mislead… A detailed factual response on this report shall be given tomorrow.”