Delhi LG advises CM Atishi to summon assembly sitting tomorrow
Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has urged Chief Minister Atishi to call a special session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly on December 19 or 20. The session is to table 14 pending Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports. Saxena slammed the Delhi government for a "conscious and deliberate lapse" in tabling the reports in the last two years, holding only five sessions in five years—a "travesty" of legislative practice.
LG Saxena highlights constitutional obligations and transparency
Saxena emphasized that it is the constitutional duty of an elected government to table such reports for legislative accountability. He said while he wouldn't normally mention a deadline for convening a special session, the circumstances demanded it. The LG also lamented that some legislators had to move the High Court to assert their constitutional rights, calling it unfortunate for an elected government that won on transparency promises to choose opacity in disclosure.
Opposition seeks judicial intervention over pending CAG reports
The matter of the pending CAG reports is now in the court. Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators moved the Delhi High Court, asking the government to table these reports in the assembly. Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, who moved the petition, warned they would approach the court again if a special session isn't called in 48 hours.
CAG reports cover crucial issues, claim petitioners
The CAG reports in question pertain to key issues including liquor duty, pollution, and finance. The LG told the Delhi High Court that these reports were approved on December 13, 2024, and returned to Chief Minister Atishi with approval to table them in a special assembly session. The petitioners claimed that despite repeated reminders from Saxena, important CAG reports from 2017-2018 to 2021-2022 were pending with CM Atishi.
