Delhi Services Bill: Home Minister Amit Shah likely to introduce Bill in Lok Sabha today

The legislation will enable the Lieutenant Governor to transfer and postings of civil servants serving the Delhi Government and nullify the Supreme Court's verdict that only the elected government will have control of services.

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to introduce a bill in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday to replace the Delhi services ordinance, which will enable the Union government to circumvent the orders of the Supreme Court which had earlier struck down a similar ordinance.

The bill seeks to replace an ordinance and restore the Centre's control over the bureaucracy in Delhi, which is both - a national capital and a Union Territory. The legislation will accord primacy to the Lieutenant Governor in the transfer and postings of civil servants serving the Delhi Government. A copy of the bill was circulated to all MPs in the Lok Sabha on Sunday.

It is pertinent to note that the Apex court on July 17, said it may refer the Delhi government's challenge against the Centre's ordinance - Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 - to the Constitution Bench. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had informed the court that the Centre was planning to introduce a bill to replace the ordinance in the current session of the Parliament.

The bill has become a rallying point for a united opposition against BJP's National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The Aam Admi Party (AAP) led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reacted strongly against the ordinance. Other Opposition parties including the Congress have also come out against the ordinance.

Taking a dig at BJP over the Delhi Services bill, the AAP said that centre had "deceived" the people of Delhi.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Union Cabinet gave its nod to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, which will replace the ordinance promulgated by the Centre on May 19. The controversial ordinance was promulgated a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi, excluding police, public order and land, to the elected government headed by Kejriwal.

On May 11, the Supreme Court issued an order in favour of the Delhi government regarding the right to transfer civil servants. Union government on May 19 brought an ordinance to notify rules for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) regarding the 'transfer posting, vigilance and other incidental matters'.

Kejriwal, who is also the national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party, reached out to leaders of non-BJP parties to garner their support against the ordinance so that the Centre's bid to replace it through a bill is defeated in Parliament.