Speaker Ram Niwas Goel slams L-G for ‘non-cooperative’ attitude

New Delhi: Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on Monday slammed lieutenant-governor (L-G) Anil Baijal for his alleged “non-cooperative” attitude.

The Speaker said that the L-G suggested him in a letter not to take questions related to land, services, and policing. The AAP MLAs attacked the L-G over this issue. The AAP legislators also came down heavily on officers for not giving a “proper reply” to an Assembly question, prompting the Speaker to refer the matter to the Question and Reference Committee of the House.

“The secretariat has also received copies of letters from some departments, such as services, vigilance, land, and building, refusing to attend meetings with the ministers concerned,” Mr Goel said.

Notably, the bureaucrats have drawn flak on several occasions since the start of the state Assembly’s Budget Session on March 16. The issue was raised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after one of its MLAs, Girish Soni, complained to the Speaker that officers have not given any proper reply to his question related to the urban development department.

“I am forwarding the matter to the Question and Reference Committee,” Mr Goel told the House. However, Mr Goel stressed that legislation on reserved subjects and seeking replies on matters of public interest are two different issues. 

Hence, he ruled that “officers are duty bound to provide replies to all questions which are admitted (by the Assembly).” The L-G had sent a letter, stating that the Speaker cannot accept any questions on reserved subjects, to the law department of Delhi government after taking opinion from the legal affairs department of the Central government.

“The Delhi Assembly is not subordinate to any Central government ‘babu,’” deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said in the House as both members of the ruling AAP and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members said that all questions raised by the Assembly should be answered.