Delhi: Anil Baijal quits as lieutenant governor, 'personal reasons' cited

NEW DELHI: After an eventful stint of five years and four months, which included his involvement in some episodes of tense face-offs with the elected AAP government and also some policy decisions he took to transform the city, lieutenant governor Anil Baijal resigned on Wednesday citing "personal reasons".

Sources said Baijal sent his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind, who is currently in Jamaica on a state visit.
The 1969 batch AGMUT cadre IAS officer also served as Union home secretary in the Vajpayee government.
Baijal's term was marked by face-offs with AAP govt
Anil Baijal, who quit as Delhi LG on Wednesday, was appointed on December 28, 2016. It was a time when the relationship between the AAP government in Delhi and the BJP-led central government was bitter and there were frequent confrontations between the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation and the LG office.
During his tenure, there were several instances when Baijal was at loggerheads with the AAP government. The big standoff between him and the elected dispensation happened when Kejriwal and his council of ministers accused him of sitting on the files related to various developmental projects, including the installation of CCTV cameras in the city and doorstep delivery of services, and staged a sit-in protest inside his office in June 2018.
The LG had also asked the AAP government to refer the proposal for doorstep delivery of ration to the Centre, which led to protests by the elected dispensation.
The LG and the elected government were involved in another face-off on the appointment of counsel for the cases related to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots and violence at Red Fort during the protest against the farm laws in the subsequent year. The elected government had also accused him of holding "parallel" meetings with bureaucrats during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since Delhi has a unique character of being a union territory with a state assembly, the government is helmed by both those who are elected and the Centre through the L-G. The LG then enjoyed exclusive control over matters related to land, police, law and order and services. In 2021, the Centre got the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act passed by Parliament, which effectively made the LG the overall head of the Delhi government.
Baijal's tenure also saw some major development projects spearheaded by him being approved and implemented. He possibly holds the unique distinction of shaping and steering two master plans of Delhi, MPD 2021 and MPD 2041 - the first as vice-chairman of DDA and union urban development secretary and the second as L-G and chairman of Delhi Development Authority (DDA).
While dealing directly with the city's administration in various capacities, Baijal acquired a deep understanding of the issues that Delhi faces, which was reflected in his review of various projects.
Baijal knew the city well and his tenure as chairman of DDA as well as that of Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) witnessed many large-scale initiatives aimed at making the national capital more inclusive and its development more sustainable.
He insisted that the Master Plan for Delhi 2041, which is slated to be notified soon, is made as an enabling plan that focuses on environmental sustainability, quality, liveability, and economic and cultural vitality, instead of being a regulatory manual. He also ensured that the document was demystified so that it is easily understood by the common man.
Among the other initiatives he fast-tracked were e-governance projects of DDA, land pooling policy and dynamic parking norms.