Ordinance On Control Of Services: SC To Hear Delhi Govt's Plea On July 10

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on July 10 a plea filed by the Delhi government challenging the constitutionality of the ordinance on control of services. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra posted the matter for consideration after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi mentioned the matter seeking urgent hearing.

"This is a plea challenging the ordinance in whole," Singhvi said. The bench then said, "List on July 10, Monday." In its plea, the AAP government has said it is an "unconstitutional exercise of executive fiat" that attempts to "override" the top court and the basic structure of the Constitution.

Besides quashing the ordinance, the Delhi government has also sought an interim stay on it. The Centre had on May 19 promulgated the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, to create an authority for transfer and posting of Group-A officers in Delhi.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has termed it as a "deception" with the Supreme Court verdict on control of services. The ordinance, which came a week after the Supreme Court handed over the control of services in Delhi excluding police, public order and land to the elected government, seeks to set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for transfer of and disciplinary proceedings against Group-A officers from the the Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services (DANICS) cadre.