PTI, NEW DELHI: Union minister Arun Jaitley today said the “presumption” of the Delhi government that the Supreme Court judgement has given it administrative powers over union territory (UT) cadre officers is “wholly erroneous”.
Yesterday’s judgement of the apex court, he said, does not either add to the powers of the state government or the central government nor does it in any way dilute them.
“It emphasises at the importance of elected state government, but Delhi being a union territory makes its powers subservient to the central government,” he said in a Facebook blog on the Supreme Court’s judgement in the Delhi government case.
Hours after the landmark judgement yesterday, the Delhi government introduced a new system for transfer and postings of bureaucrats, making Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal the approving authority.
However, the services department refused to comply, saying the Supreme Court did not abolish the notification issued in 2016 which made the Ministry of Home Affairs the authority for transfers and postings.
There are several issues which had directly not been commented upon, but by implication there is some indication of those issues, Jaitley said, adding that unless issues of importance are flagged, discussed and a specific opinion is rendered, “none can assume” that silence implies an opinion in favour of one or the other.
