Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Monday sought opinion of the Law Ministry on the constitutional position whether it was necessary for the Delhi government to obtain prior approval from the Centre before tabling the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Assembly.
Responding to the letter of the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Lt. Governor said that it is very important to combat corruption but the question is the need to follow procedures as mandated under the Constitution.
He also highlighted that as per Rule of the Transaction of Business of the Delhi Government, any such draft bill should have been sent to the Lt. Governor ahead of placing it before the Council of Ministers and this was not done.
Jung also said that various departments including the Finance and Law had highlighted the fact that prior recommendation of the Lt. Governor was required since the bill involved expenditure from the Consolidated Fund.
He said, as many of the provisions of the Jan Lokpal Bill are overlapping with the Central legislation on Lokpal and the Lokayukta , the Bill will have to be placed by the Lt Governor for the assent of the President to avoid any repugnancy.
On the issue of holding the final session of the Assembly at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the Lt Governor had indicated that it was imperative to take the views of the Delhi Police for maintenance of law and order.
Jung said that the question addressed to the Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran was not on the content of the Jan Lokpal Bill but on the constitutional validity on the issue of its introduction in the Assembly.
Meanwhile, Lieutenat Governor Najeeb Jung has given consent to the Delhi Government's recommendation for a probe by a Special Investigation Team- SIT into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal told reporters that Jung has given his nod in this regard.
Kejriwal earlier in the day had also met the Lt Governor at Raj Niwas in the national capital.
Delhi Government last week had recommended for setting up a SIT to probe the anti-Sikh riots within a time frame of one year.
