In a recent development, the Supreme Court has declined to grant a stay on the Delhi ordinance and has instead asked the Centre to respond to the plea filed by the Delhi government. The court has directed the Delhi government to amend its plea and include the Lieutenant Governor as a party in the case. The matter is scheduled for a hearing on July 17.
The Delhi government has challenged the constitutionality of the ordinance, arguing that it is an unconstitutional exercise of executive power that overrides the Supreme Court and the fundamental structure of the Constitution. They have requested the court to quash the ordinance and impose an interim stay on its implementation.
The ordinance, introduced by the Centre on May 19, establishes an authority responsible for the transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi. It came shortly after the Supreme Court granted control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order, and land, to the elected government. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has criticized the ordinance as a deceptive move following the Supreme Court’s verdict on the control of services.
The objective of the ordinance is to create a National Capital Civil Service Authority that will handle the transfer and disciplinary proceedings of Group-A officers from the DANICS cadre, which includes officers from Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services.
