Deputy Chief Minister Shri Manish Sisodia, has requested the Lieutenant Governor (LG) to immediately return the file regarding a Finland-based training program for teachers of Delhi government schools. In a letter to the LG, Shri Manish Sisodia highlighted that the file had been lying on the LG’s desk since January 20th without him taking any decision, and under the laws, the LG cannot hold a file for more than 15 days. Despite this, the LG has chosen to sit on the file for over a month now, which is unjustified, according to the Deputy Chief Minister.
The LG has repeatedly raised objections to the proposal and stalled the file twice, despite receiving the government’s approval. However, as per the Constitution and Transaction of Business Rules 1993, education is a transferred subject, and GNCTD has exclusive executive control over it. Therefore, the LG has no powers to take any decision in the matter of education. If the LG differs with any decision of any Minister, he may refer the matter to the President, but before referring the matter, he is required to try and resolve it through discussions with the concerned Minister and refer the matter to the Council of Ministers.
According to Rule 49 of the amended Transaction of Business of GNCTD 2021, in case of a difference of opinion between the LG and the Minister regarding any matter, the LG must endeavour to resolve the difference of opinion through discussion within 15 days. If the difference of opinion persists, the matter is to be referred to the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers must then deliberate on the issue within 10 days and take a decision. If the matter still remains unresolved or a decision is not taken within the stipulated time period by the Council of Ministers, it is deemed that the difference of opinion continues to persist, and the matter must be referred to the Hon’ble President by the LG for a final decision as per Rule 50.
The Deputy Chief Minister had sent a proposal to the LG on January 20th for a Finland-based teacher training program for Delhi Govt School teachers, but the file had remained stuck in the LG office since then. The LG had sent back the file under the pretext of clarifications to continue stalling the training program. When Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal reached the LG with his ministers and MLAs to discuss this obstruction, there was an outright refusal by the LG to meet them.
As per the Constitution and TBR rules, the time available with the LG to present his views regarding the decision to send teachers to Finland has expired. Therefore, the Deputy Chief Minister has requested the LG to return the file immediately so that the government can implement its decision and send its teachers to Finland for training. The first batch of government school teachers was scheduled to go to Finland in December 2022, but they could not go because of repeated objections raised by the LG at that time. The next batch is due for March 2023, and the file has been pending in the LG’s office for more than a month.
The government has examined the proposal, including a cost-benefit analysis, and found that the training program is essential to improve the quality of education in the national capital. Therefore, the repeated objections raised by the LG are unwarranted and are delaying the implementation of a crucial program that could benefit Delhi’s students. The Deputy Chief Minister’s letter to the LG also emphasised that “The decision of the Delhi government to send its teachers to Finland for training has attained finality. Therefore, the file must now be returned by the LG so that we can start the process of sending our teachers abroad for training.”
