Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena on Friday approved the Statutory Annual Report of Lokayukta for the years 2017-18 and 2018-19 to be placed in the Assembly. The LG also hit out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for “delaying it for three years”.
Raj Bhavan officials said Mr Saxena raised his concerns about some of the highlighted issues in the report, including the “obstacles” facing the Lokayukta, “independence, lack of powers, compromised financial autonomy, investigations”. non-availability of machinery for, and limited jurisdiction”.
The Delhi government in its response said that the LG should “stop behaving like the headmaster of the school”.
In a letter to the chief minister, Mr Saxena advised Mr Kejriwal to “ensure” that such reports are presented in the assembly on time. “I would like to advise that the concerned Minister may kindly give proper guidance to dispose of such important matters of public interest within a reasonable time so that the statutory purpose of placing it before the Legislative Assembly is not defeated and Delhi is not deprived of its wisdom,” he said. wrote.
According to officials, the two reports were first submitted by the Lokayukta to the then LG on October 1, 2019, and were sent to the chief secretary of Delhi on October 23 of the same year, seeking “clarification” on the points highlighted in the report.