L-G office accuses Delhi govt of misleading courts, calls for accountability & transparency

NEW DELHI: The Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, V.K. Saxena, has written to Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla alleging that there have been concerted attempts by the Delhi government at misleading the courts with an apparent aim of influencing the justice delivery system by way of filing motivated and premeditated petitions and trying to secure an endorsement of the same from the courts by presenting patently false affidavits.

The letter also stated that it is pertinent to underscore here that in various matters in different courts, 'GNCTD vs Lt. Governor' has become the prevalent norm, rather than an exception.

“The attempts obviously are, apart from misleading the Hon’ble courts, meant to create a false media narrative which maligns the constitutional office of the L-G in the public domain.

"In a matter relating to the upgradation of infrastructure in the Delhi High Court and the subordinate judiciary in the city, the Supreme Court came down heavily on the GNCTD over lack of infrastructure for the judiciary and the inordinate delay in granting funds for infrastructure projects approved by the Delhi High Court.

"Projects pertaining to various district courts had been pending even after due approval of the Delhi High Court from 2019,” the letter read.

It also pointed to an ongoing case in the Delhi High Court concerning the excise policy, highlighting the delay in submitting a report due to misrepresentation by the government counsel.

“The Lieutenant Governor disclosed full facts to the court, clarifying the delay was GNCTD's responsibility. Action was also advised against the counsel for misleading the court, constituting perjury and contempt,” the letter said.

It further drew attention towards a writ petition filed by the Delhi government for re-operationalisation of the 'Farishtey' scheme, releasing pending hospital bills, and making timely payments to private hospitals.

“The same was played up in the media, apparently at the government’s behest, as a supposed legal tussle where the government counsel attributed the stoppage of the 'Farishtey' scheme to the L-G before the Supreme Court, which subsequently issued a notice to the L-G office,” it read.

It was further claimed that the total number of beneficiaries under the 'Farishtey' scheme during FY 2022-23 was 3,698 and the same stood at about 3,900 in 10 months, till mid-February of FY 2023-24.

“The payments made to private hospitals for the same in FY 2022-23 stood at Rs 4.85 crore and the same till February 12 this year stood at Rs 4.99 crore. These figures prima facie neither indicate a 'halt' in the scheme, nor do they support allegations of 'non-payment' made by the Minister and endorsed by the Chief Minister. In fact, they refute the claims,” it stated.

“While many similar cases are going on in different courts, it is pertinent to highlight such misleading measures undertaken by the GNCTD, apart from spending crores of rupees from the public exchequer on scurrilous litigation and wasting several precious manhours of public officials.

"This communication is meant to keep the Home Ministry apprised of the developments in Delhi with regard to avoidable litigations in various courts by the GNCTD,” the letter added.