Delhi Lt Governor Resigns: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal resigned on May 19, 2022 citing personal reasons. He has submitted his resignation to the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind who is currently on a state visit to Saint Vincent and Grenadines.
Anil Baijal had been appointed as Delhi Lt Governor on December 31, 2016 after the abrupt resignation of his predecessor Najeeb Jung. The retired civil servant's five-year term ended in 2021 but he was granted an extension.
Read Also: President Ram Nath Kovind gives assent to National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021
Read Also: Anil Baijal takes oath as Delhi Lieutenant Governor
Who will be Delhi's new Lieutenant Governor?
As per sources, following are some of the contenders of the Delhi Lt Governor post-
Sunil Arora: Sunil Arora was the 23rd Chief Election Commissioner of India. His term ended in April 2021. He is a retired 1980 batch IAS Officer from Rajasthan Cadre. He has previously served as secretary in the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Skill, Development and Entrepreneurship. He is also the chairman for Association of World Election Bodies. He is a retired 1980 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Rajasthan cadre. He also served as a secretary to the Government of India in two ministries. Wikipedia
Sushil Chandra: He recently retired as the 24th Chief Election Commissioner of India. He is a 1980 batch IRS Officer. He had previously served as the Chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes.
Rajiv Mehrishi: He was the 13th Comptroller and Auditor General of India (C&AG). He was also Vice Chairman of the United Nations Panel of External Auditors. He is a retired 1978 batch IAS officer from Rajasthan Cadre. He has formerly served as the Home Secretary and the Finance Secretary under Narendra Modi-led central government. He had also served as the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan prior to that. He was conferred India's third highest civilian award in 2022 by the Indian Government in the Civil Service.
Rakesh Asthana: He is a 1984 batch IPS officer from Gujarat Cadre. He had previously served as the Special Director at CBI. He was appointed as Delhi Police Commissioner in July 2021.
About Anil Baijal
- Anil Baijal is a 1969 batch IAS officer from AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre.
- He was appointed as the 21st Lieutenant Governor of Delhi on December 31, 2016 and abruptly resigned from the position on May 18, 2022.
- Baijal holds a master's degree in arts from the University of Allahabad and a master's degree in development economics from the University of East Anglia.
- He had served as the Home Secretary under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
- He has also served as the Chairman of Delhi Development Authority; additional Home Secretary in the I&B Ministry and Chief Secretary of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- He had also served as the Managing Director of the Indian Airlines and CEO of Prasar Bharati.
- He has also formerly served as the Development Commissioner of Goa and Commissioner (Sales Tax and Excise) of Delhi.
- He retired as a civil servant in 2006 after serving as the Secretary of the Urban Development Ministry.
- He had also served as an advisor on National e-Governance Advisory Group (NAG) and the advisory Group for Integrated Development of Power, Coal, and Renewable Energy.
Delhi Lieutenant Governor PowersThe role of Delhi Lt Governor has been a major bone of contention between the Delhi government and the central government. The Delhi governor and the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal have been at loggerheads for most of his term with respect to powers, duties and governance. The Supreme Court in a landmark judgement in 2018 had ruled that Delhi's lieutenant governor doesn't have independent decision-making powers. The apex court was hearing a batch of appeals filed by the Kejriwal government against a 2016 Delhi High Court Order. However, the centre passed a controversial bill 'Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021' on March 22, 2021 giving sweeping powers to the Delhi Lieutenant Governor, clarifying that the “government” in Delhi means the “Lieutenant Governor”. The bill was passed amidst strong opposition from the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party, both of whom called the legislation is “unconstitutional”. |
Comments
All Comments (0)
Join the conversation