Delhi 2023: Year of unrelenting tussle between AAP dispensation, L-G

New Delhi: An unrelenting tussle with the Lt Governor and the bureaucracy and a short-lived promise of authority after a Supreme Court verdict on control over Services-related matters marked an action-packed 2023 for Delhi's AAP government.

Hardly a week after the Supreme Court on May 11 granted Delhi's elected AAP dispensation executive control over Services-related matters, including appointments and transfers of bureaucrats, the BJP-led Centre brought legislation to again tilt the balance in favour of the Lt Governor.

As the weeks and months passed, the war of words between the AAP government and the Raj Niwas and bureaucrats got only sharper and noisier with even Lt Governor VK Saxena, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar getting involved.

In January, the two sides came face to face as Kejriwal marched from the Vidhan Sabha to the Raj Niwas with his ministers and MLAs to protest against alleged hurdles created in sending government school teachers to Finland for a training exercise.

Retorting that "L-G is not our headmaster", Kejriwal accused Saxena of interfering in the government's functioning and bypassing it during the decision-making process.

As the year draws to a close, the rift has only widened with Saxena recommending a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged procurement and supply of "non-standard" drugs in Delhi government hospitals.

Saxena last year had recommended a CBI probe into the alleged excise policy scam.

The matter is now being probed by both the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which recently summoned Kejriwal for questioning as part of its investigations in a related money laundering matter.

The buildup to the showdown started with the arrest of Manish Sisodia, the then deputy chief minister, in the excise "scam" by the CBI in February.

The AAP government reacted angrily, alleging a conspiracy by the BJP-led Centre and the Lt Governor to derail its good works in education, health and other fields.

Kejriwal dubbed the development "dirty politics" and expressed hope that people would reply at the appropriate time.

The AAP dispensation, on its part, demanded suspension and disciplinary action against the chief secretary for "corruption".

The Supreme Court's May 11 order came as a positive for the Kejriwal government with the verdict providing it control over the city's bureaucracy -- previously handled by the Lt Governor -- because of the Services-related matter coming under it.

Within hours of the judgment, the Kejriwal government transferred the Services secretary and moved to replace top officers, including in the Vigilance Directorate.

Kejriwal said his hands were tied earlier and warned that the officers who "obstructed" the government's work for the people would soon "face the music".

However, with the AAP dispensation busy counting its gains, the Centre moved to promulgate the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, regaining control over Services-related through the Lt Governor.

Later, the ordinance became a legislation in which Services-related matters were handed over to the three-member National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA) headed by the chief minister. The actual control, however, lies with the Lt Governor as its other two members are bureaucrats.

After implementation of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act in August, the elected government's relations with the Lt Governor and the officers soured further.

The AAP dispensation accused the officers of obstructing its work, turning a deaf ear to ministers and not attending meetings.

Ministers such as Saurabh Bharadwaj and Atishi have on separate occasions accused the Finance Department of withholding funds for key projects.

However, government officials in some departments said there have been multiple achievements despite the obstacles.

"The number of mohalla clinics in Delhi kept on increasing -- 70 were added in 2023. This is despite attempts by officers to prevent the inauguration of new clinics and even stop the functioning of 500 existing ones by withholding payments to doctors and labs for tests. Approximately 70,000 patients continue to get free treatment, tests and medicines at mohalla clinics every day," said an official.

In 2023, the Delhi government inaugurated six new schools and three new buildings in existing ones.

Delhi also launched India's first ever real-time source apportionment lab for air pollution in January. Set up in collaboration with IIT-Kanpur and IIT-Delhi, the lab provides a real-time breakup of pollution sources.

Attempts were also made to shut this lab by stopping its payments but the Kejriwal government got relief from the Supreme Court.