Delhi Assembly Session Begins on Stormy Note Over Finland Teacher Training & MCD Mayor Row | Updates

The winter session of the Delhi Legislative Assembly started on Monday on a tumultuous note as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faced off, days after the parties tussled during the mayoral election of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

The AAP protested outside the assembly against the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi, VK Saxena over the issue of teacher training in Finland. Following this, the AAP, led by CM Arvind Kejriwal, took out a march to L-G House.

While the L-G proposed to meet Kejriwal and Sisodia, the AAP demanded that he meet all the MLAs as well. Following the deadlock, AAP leaders ended the protest and left the venue without meeting the L-G.

Following this, Deputy CM Sisodia tweeted in Hindi, “The Chief Minister @ArvindKejriwal and I along with the MLAs had gone to meet the LG to request him not to stop the teachers from going to Finland for training.”

“LG sir refused to meet with the MLAs. Mr. LG! What is the fear of meeting the elected MLAs of the people of Delhi?” he further said.

Meanwhile, sources said that the L-G has not rejected the proposal of training program for Primary-in-charges in Finland, as per ANI. The government has been advised to evaluate the proposal in totality and record the cost-benefit analysis in terms of impact on quality of education being provided to students, so as to assess effectiveness of various foreign training programs for teachers undertaken in the past, they said.

The L-G has also approved the convening of the meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on 24th January for the oath of affirmation, the election of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and six members to the Standing Committee.

The first day of the session commenced at 11 am on Monday. The sitting of the Legislative Assembly has been tentatively fixed for January 16, 17 and 18. The sitting of the House may be extended subject to the exigencies of business.

Members of the House will raise issues under rule 280 on Monday. In view of the tussle between the elected government and the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor in the past days regarding the powers of the government in Delhi, MLAs of the ruling party may come up with a proposal to discuss this issue in the assembly. Discussion on the issue of the elected government’s retaining the right to give orders for development works may be raised as well.

The Privilege Committee of the Assembly has, several times in the past, has summoned officers on various issues and reprimanded them. The Privilege Committee has also questioned the officials, especially on the issues of the Delhi Jal Board fund and the non-supply of medicines to Mohalla Clinics and hospitals.

Even before the commencement of the session, the Opposition BJP is besieging the government on this issue. On Friday, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Rambir Singh Bidhuri raised questions about the government by holding a press conference. He said that the government is evading accountability. Bidhuri has alleged that the Question Hour is not kept in the current session, he also demanded that instead of three days, the session should be of at least ten days.

The current session is expected to be stormy given the allegations and counter-allegations between BJP and AAP.

As per the list of businesses, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is to lay copies of the following on the Table of the House: 7 Annual Report of Delhi Technological University for the year 2020-2023; CAG Audit Report on Annual Accounts of the Netaji Subhas University of Technology for the year 2009-10 to 2017-18 along with Action Taken Report; 19′ Annual Report of Indraprastha Power Generation Company Limited for the Financial Year 2019 -20 (Hindi and English Version); 19th Annual Report of Pragati Power Corporation Limited for the Financial Year 2019 -20; Annual Report of Delhi Transco Limited for the Financial Year 2019-20.

As per the list of businesses, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia will also introduce ‘The Delhi Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2023’.

(With inputs from ANI)

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