New Delhi: Lt Governor Anil Baijal has sent back to the Delhi government a proposal for doorstep delivery of public services for reconsideration, with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia terming it a "huge setback" to the AAP dispensation's efforts to providing a graft-free governance.
Hitting out at Baijal over the move, Sisodia wondered whether the L-G should have powers to express difference of opinion with an elected government on such critical matters of public interest. The proposal pertains to delivery of 40 public services, including driving licences, caste certificates and new water connections, at the doorstep of citizens.
The Delhi Cabinet had approved the proposal last month and sent it to the L-G for his approval. "L-G rejects proposal of doorstep delivery of 40 govt services like caste-birth-address certificates, licences, social welfare schemes, pensions, registrations...etc. "LG sends it back for reconsideration. LG says digitisation of services enough. No need for doorstep delivery (sic)," Sisodia said in a series of tweets.
However, the L-G clarified, "The proposal for doorstep delivery of services not rejected. Only advised to reconsider the proposal and suggested alternate model."
In a statement, the L-G office said the present proposal has implications on safety and security of women, and senior citizens, possibility of corruption, bad behaviour, breach of privacy, loss of documents and others and adds unnecessary expenditure for the government and the people.
The development may trigger a tussle between the AAP dispensation and the L-G office. In a tweet, the deputy chief minister alleged, "LG has taken decision without knowing field reality. Announcement of doorstep delivery scheme was welcomed by all sections of society."
He also sought to know if the Lt Governor should be able to scuttle such measures due to which the people are "suffering". "Should LG have power to express difference of opinion with elected govt on such critical matters of public interest n be able to scuttle such measures? Public hugely suffering because of that," Sisodia wrote on the microblogging site.
"Most of these services r already digital. Yet, long queues in offices. Despite digitalization, most people still hv to run around govt offices with docs etc. Under doorstep delivery scheme, a govt rep wud visit ur house on a ph call to collect, certify n upload ur docs (sic)," he said.
According to the statement issued by the L-G office, Baijal has advised that the matter be reconsidered with an aim to put in place a model which provides for full digital delivery of services to people and facilitates access to bridge the "digital divide".
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