AAP govt versus bureaucracy tussle reverberates in Delhi Assembly

NEW DELHI: The tussle between the bureaucracy and AAP government reverberated for the second consecutive day in Delhi Assembly on Thursday with Speaker Ram Niwas Goel warning officers of strict action if they do not provide complete answers to questions asked by AAP MLAs on Monday. The three day special session of the Assembly, scheduled to conclude on Friday, was extended by one day to allow the MLAs to get answers.
Claiming that the answers were not satisfactory, MLAs demanded proper answers to their questions. The MLAs had claimed on Wednesday also that answers to different questions especially those related to power, revenue and education were not properly answered which had prompted the Speaker to express anguish and call it an “undeclared emergency” and direct the principal secretaries of power, revenue and education departments to be present during the Assembly proceedings with answers.

As the proceedings of the Assembly began on Thursday, where the officers were present, the AAP MLAs complained to the Speaker that the officers had not provided proper answers to their questions. AAP MLA Surender Singh had asked when vacant posts in government schools would be filled up. MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj, who has alleged irregularities in distribution of compensation for land acquisition, had asked whether the government had acquired land from 1997 to 2005 in Holambi Kalan, Shahabad Daulatpur and other areas and if it was true that FIRs were registered on allegations of fraud, cheating and tampering of revenue records and officers named in them. “My question on Thursday wasabout whether the government is paying the bill of the advocate who is representing IAS officers accused in a multi-crore bank scam. It was not answered by the finance department,” Bharadwaj told TOI.

“Action would be taken as per the rules against officers if answers are not given on Monday,” said Speaker.

The education department has said that answers cannot be given because the question was related to matters of services. In March LG Anil Baijal had requested the Speaker in writing not to admit questions on subjects like services, law and order, vigilance and land which are reserved subjects.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia alleged that "denial of answers by the bureaucrats" was part of a “conspiracy to weaken the democratic system” and questioned the logic behind the denial of answers.