NEW DELHI: People of Delhi will pay the price for altering the spirit of the Constitution, PWD Minister Atishi told this newspaper in an interview on Tuesday.
Speaking on the ongoing war between the AAP government and the Centre on issues related to G-20 preparations, the Delhi cabinet’s second-in-command compared the GNCTD Amendment Act to a pre-independence law where the British government used to conduct elections but kept power to themselves.
“The genesis of the matter is the GNCTD Amendment Act, which is again in the Supreme Court. As far as we are concerned, the GNCTD Amendment Act is entirely unconstitutional. Today’s Act is like the pre-Independence Morley-Minto reforms where the British invaders conducted elections in the country but never gave up power of decision or policy-making to the elected representatives. The same thing is happening now. Two bureaucrats appointed by the Centre are sitting over the elected chief minister in a panel (NCCSA),” she said.
Atishi also cautioned that the repercussions of the Act, which has resulted in a power tussle between bureaucracy and ministers, will eventually have to bear by the public. “The Act is now affecting the interest of the public. It gives the officers an excuse to ignore our instructions. If officers don’t listen to the elected representatives chosen by the public, the policy and services rendered by the city government are bound to be affected and it will be the public that will pay the price of it. Our efforts will continue to keep working for the people of Delhi but the pace of development work will slow down for sure,” the minister added. She, however, expressed hope in the judiciary.
“The Centre is trying to bypass the spirit of federalism through the Act, but we are hopeful that the SC will rise to the occasion and protect the Constitution,” Atishi said.
“The L-G represents the Central government and is the honorary head of the Delhi government. The onus of coordination lies with him. The separate agencies have their jurisdiction and can’t meddle in each other’s affairs,” she said.
