Arvind Kejriwal seeks more power in Delhi

In a move that would add to the acrimony between the Delhi government and the Centre, the AAP government made a legislative bid to curtail the authority of Lieutenant Governor in the Capital. While introducing the Minimum Wages (Delhi) Amendment Bill, the state government sought to substitute the word 'appropriate government', a term referred to Delhi's L-G, with 'the government of NCT of Delhi'. While the amendment is likely to be rejected by the L-G at a later stage, the state government maintained that Delhi's 'elected' government was the 'appropriate' government and not the L-G.

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The amendments were made to Sections 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 10 of Act 11 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. "....for the word 'appropriate government', the words 'the government of NCT of Delhi' shall stand substituted," read the proposed amendment. The Bill was tabled in the House on Thursday by transport and labour minister Gopal Rai. The Bill is under consideration in the Assembly.

Meanwhile, the Assembly passed the Delhi (Right of Citizens to Time Bound Delivery of Services) Amendment Bill, a piece of legislation that will automatically deduct salaries of babus in cases of delay in delivering services on their part. CM Arvind Kejriwal described the passage of the Bill as a huge victory in the fight against corruption and lamented his inability to attend the House on the occasion due to ill-health.

The Bill also seeks to ensure that every government department puts out comprehensive citizens charter, within 30 days of its notification and that the responsibility is fixed with the HODs. The Bill also encourages government departments to adopt the e-governance platform in the prescribed time period via electronic means to bring transparency.