Lt Governor asks govt to reconsider home delivery of Delhi services, Sisodia fumes

The Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has shot down the Delhi government's proposal to "home deliver" basic public services for reconsideration.

Calling it a "huge setback" to the government's efforts to provide good and corruption-free governance, Sisodia questioned whether the Lieutenant Governor should "have the power" to express difference of opinion with the elected government on such "critical matters of public interest and be able to scuttle such measures".

The proposal pertains to delivery of 40 public services, including driving licences, caste certificates and new water connections, at the doorstep of citizens.

Hitting out at Baijal over the move, Sisodia wondered whether the L-G should have powers to express difference of opinion with an elected government on such critical matters of public interest.

The Delhi Cabinet had approved the proposal last month and sent it to the L-G for his approval. "L-G rejects proposal of doorstep delivery of 40 govt services like caste-birth-address certificates, licences, social welfare schemes, pensions, registrations...etc. "LG sends it back for reconsideration. LG says digitisation of services enough. No need for doorstep delivery (sic)," Sisodia said in a series of tweets.

Late in the evening, a communique from the office of the Lieutenant Governor said Anil Baijal had not rejected the proposal but advised that it be reconsidered and suggested an alternative model.

The issue is seen as the next likely flashpoint in the ongoing clash between the Arvind Kejriwal-led government and the Centre, as Sisodia expressed his indignation in a series of tweets.

In a statement, the L-G office said the present proposal has implications on safety and security of women, and senior citizens, possibility of corruption, bad behaviour, breach of privacy, loss of documents and others and adds unnecessary expenditure for the government and the people.

Baijal, the communique said, had suggested that the government shift to 100 per cent online delivery of services. "This is achievable in Delhi as 35 out of 40 services proposed by the government for door step delivery are already available online," the communique read.

Questioning Anil Baijal's response, he pointed out that while most of these services are already digital, the people were facing problems availing them. "Despite digitalization, most people still hv to run around govt offices with docs etc," another of his tweets read.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)