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Time of India
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Rules committee's nod to independent secretariat, fin autonomy for assembly
New Delhi: The Rules Committee, led by speaker Vijender Gupta, has approved a proposal to establish an independent secretariat and grant financial autonomy to the Delhi Assembly. According to sources, the committee is expected to submit its report during the upcoming monsoon session of the assembly for tabling in the house. Officials said the move aims to strengthen the institutional framework of the Delhi Assembly in line with the constitutional principle of separation of powers. Since its reconstitution in 1993, Delhi Assembly has functioned without a dedicated secretarial cadre or financial independence. Unlike Parliament and state legislatures—where the speaker holds authority over appointments and administration—Delhi's legislature depends on officers deputed from various government departments. This reliance, officials argue, has led to operational inefficiencies and curtailed the assembly's functional autonomy. "To address these concerns, the speaker proposed the creation of a separate legislative secretariat and the granting of financial autonomy during a recent meeting of the Rules Committee. This proposal aligns with Articles 98 and 187 of the Constitution, which provide for such arrangements in Parliament and state legislatures respectively," said an official. A senior assembly official noted that the 82nd All India Presiding Officers' Conference, held in Dec 2021 under the chairmanship of the Lok Sabha Speaker, adopted a resolution that all legislatures should get financial autonomy enjoyed by both the houses of Parliament. This resolution was later shared with the Delhi chief secretary, along with a request for prompt action in consultation with the Vidhan Sabha. Among the three Union Territories with elected assemblies — Delhi, Puducherry, and Jammu and Kashmir — Delhi is the only one constituted as a constitutional body, with a specific provision for an independent secretariat. "In view of Article 239AA(b) of the Constitution, which empowers Parliament to regulate matters concerning the Delhi Legislative Assembly, the Rules Committee may recommend an amendment to the GNCTD Act, 1991. This would facilitate the establishment of a separate secretariat and financial autonomy, bringing the Delhi Assembly on par with state legislatures," said an official.
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Assembly amending rules to align with GNCTD Act: Gupta
New Delhi: Delhi assembly speaker Vijender Gupta on Monday said the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Vidhan Sabha are being amended in line with the Government of NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2023, to bring them on par with the rules governing the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Gupta clarified that the amendment does not affect the routine functioning of the House or restrict assembly committees. The changes aim to remove ambiguities in rule interpretation. "The Privileges Committee and Petitions Committee can still summon officials and question them on complaints. They can scrutinise Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports but cannot summon officials for routine executive matters, which the previous govt often did," Gupta said. AAP reacted, saying, "It is strange that a person who disrupted the Delhi Assembly during last 10 years is now pointing fingers at others." Leader of the opposition in the Delhi assembly and former chief minister Atishi wrote a letter to the Speaker last month, raising concerns that following the amendments in the GNCTD Act, the legislative assembly "cannot make any rule to enable itself or its committees to consider the day-to-day administration of the Capital or conduct inquiries in relation to the administrative decisions". by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Egypt: New Small Electric Car For Seniors. Prices Might Surprise You. Electric Cars | Search Ads Undo The letter was in reference to three CAG reports – public health, liquor supply, and vehicular air pollution – being scrutinised by PAC. Gupta said Rule 280 was vague and sometimes exploited for "vested interests." The amendments will address this, make rules gender-neutral, simplify language, and align them with parliamentary rules. The assembly has also formed two new committees— Committee on the Welfare of Senior Citizens and the Committee on the Welfare of Transgenders and Persons with Disabilities—and is drafting rules for them.
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Delhi Assembly panel row: Speaker warns disruptive MLAs can be removed, AAP's Atishi calls it undemocratic
The ongoing controversy over the powers of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Delhi Assembly took a turn on Tuesday, after Speaker and BJP leader Vijender Gupta said MLAs who create 'chaos' during meetings can be asked to withdraw or be removed. Gupta's statement came after AAP's Leader of Opposition Atishi raised questions on the panel's powers after the 2021 amendment to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, which placed curbs on the powers of Assembly committees, and demanded that an opinion on the power of the committee be sought from the Law Department. The PAC examines the expenditure of government departments and the CAG reports. Responding to a letter from PAC chairman and BJP MLA Ajay Mahawar, which alleged that AAP MLAs on the committee – Atishi, Kuldeep Kumar and Virender Singh – had disrupted committee meetings, Gupta said they can be removed from meetings. Atishi first raised the issue with the Speaker on May 6. In response, Gupta said that while committees must function within the boundaries of law, they still retain sufficient authority under the Constitution and Rules, including the power to examine CAG reports. On Wednesday, Atishi demanded that the Speaker ask the Centre to withdraw the amendments made to the GNCTD Act in 2021. 'That's the first step if you're serious about empowering Delhi Assembly's committees. Why is the Speaker refusing to even raise that demand? If there are no curbs on Committees in this context, why are you afraid of sending it to the Law Department for an opinion? It's not the Speaker's job to interpret the law — it's the Law Department's,' she said. On Gupta's letter allowing Mahawar to remove members from Committee meetings, Atishi said, 'We are being told that if we raise these questions in a committee, we'll be thrown out of the meeting. This has never happened in the democratic history of our country.'
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Delhi Speaker says assembly panel can examine CAG reports after former CM Atishi raises doubts
Days after Opposition leader Atishi raised questions over the powers of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to review reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Speaker Vijender Gupta clarified that any financial irregularity resulting in a loss to the exchequer can be examined by the assembly that sanctioned the expenditure, with the PAC acting as its extension. In a letter to the former chief minister, Gupta cited Practice and Procedure in Parliament , a reference work detailing the PAC's core responsibilities, stating that the committee is tasked with examining cases of losses, wasteful spending, and financial irregularities. He emphasised that the PAC operates as an extension of the assembly, empowered to scrutinise such matters. Atishi writes to Speaker Earlier this month, Atishi wrote to the Speaker, asserting that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Delhi Assembly does not have the authority to examine the three Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports on liquor supply, public health, and vehicular air pollution. These reports were tabled in the House during the first session following the formation of the BJP government and were referred to the PAC after a discussion among the MLAs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Women Ever The Noodle Box Undo The AAP functionary also mentioned in her letter that following the amendment of GNCTD Act , the assembly couldn't make any rule to enable itself or its committees to consider the day-to-day administration of the capital or conduct inquiries in relation to administrative decisions. "For all practical purposes, this amendment takes away all powers of assembly committees," Atishi claimed. She added that the rules of procedure and conduct of business in National Capital Territory of Delhi also limited the roles of PAC to the examination of appropriation of accounts of the capital and CAG reports thereon. "However, the three reports currently before PAC are not regarding appropriation accounts of NCT of Delhi. In fact, these reports concern themselves with policy matters and day-to-day administrative decisions taken by NCT of Delhi," the Kalkaji MLA said in her letter, adding that the CAG reports couldn't be "examined, inquired into, and a report prepared on them, when GNCTD Act expressly forbids" it. Live Events Responding to the letter, Gupta said Atishi's interpretation of the rules was "bereft of any merit". "In fact, it is the constitutional obligation of the CAG to present its reports to the assembly and for PAC and COGU (committee on govt undertakings) to examine it. Any irregularity, which has caused or may have caused loss to the exchequer, can be examined by the assembly, which sanctioned it," the speaker wrote.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
After Atishi's objection, speaker affirms Delhi Assembly panel can examine CAG reports
New Delhi: Days after leader of the opposition Atishi questioned the powers of the public accounts committee (PAC) to examine the reports of Comptroller and Auditor General, speaker Vijender Gupta said any irregularity that might have caused a loss to the exchequer could be examined by the assembly, which sanctioned it, and the panel was its extension. In a letter to the former chief minister, Gupta referred to Practice and Procedure in Parliament, a treatise that summarises the main functions of PAC, and said the committee "examines cases involving losses, nugatory expenditure and financial irregularities". He added that PAC was an extension of the assembly, which examines all such issues. Atishi wrote to the speaker earlier this month, stating that PAC of Delhi Assembly cannot examine the three CAG reports on liquor supply, public health and vehicular air pollution, which were tabled in the house during the first session after the formation of BJP govt and were referred to the panel after a discussion among the MLAs. The AAP functionary also mentioned in her letter that following the amendment of GNCTD Act, the assembly couldn't make any rule to enable itself or its committees to consider the day-to-day administration of the capital or conduct inquiries in relation to administrative decisions. "For all practical purposes, this amendment takes away all powers of assembly committees," Atishi claimed. She added that the rules of procedure and conduct of business in National Capital Territory of Delhi also limited the roles of PAC to the examination of appropriation of accounts of the capital and CAG reports thereon. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Scalable retail: Video analytics firm enables more traffic thanks to robust computing power - Google Cloud: Future of Infrastructure CIO | Google Cloud, AMD Undo "However, the three reports currently before PAC are not regarding appropriation accounts of NCT of Delhi. In fact, these reports concern themselves with policy matters and day-to-day administrative decisions taken by NCT of Delhi," the Kalkaji MLA said in her letter, adding that the CAG reports couldn't be "examined, inquired into, and a report prepared on them, when GNCTD Act expressly forbids" it. Responding to the letter, Gupta said Atishi's interpretation of the rules was "bereft of any merit". "In fact, it is the constitutional obligation of the CAG to present its reports to the assembly and for PAC and COGU (committee on govt undertakings) to examine it. Any irregularity, which has caused or may have caused loss to the exchequer, can be examined by the assembly, which sanctioned it," the speaker wrote. He added that the rules of procedure also empowered all committees to "examine and submit" reports on matters that were not directly connected. "The committees will dutifully dispose of their legislative obligations as laid down by the Constitution. The existing powers of the committees, within the boundaries of the Constitution and GNCTD Act, are sufficient to fulfil their duties, and there need be no apprehension that the committee will be handicapped in its working," Gupta stated in the letter.
