Delhi Assembly Speaker accuses finance dept of holding up proposal for his Ghana visit

While we will take necessary action for breach of privilege and contempt, I have strongly recommended to the LG to take action against these officers for misconduct, Goel said, calling the incident unprecedented.

Delhi Legislative Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on Friday alleged that the government's finance department has been sitting on a proposal for his visit to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Ghana saying approval of Lt Governor is needed for it.

At a press conference at the Delhi Assembly, Goel also alleged that the officers of the services department summoned two Vidhan Sabha section officers and sought from them confidential information about a probe by OBC Welfare and Privileges committee and ''threatened'' them with suspension if they did not comply.

The Speaker said he has written to LG VK Saxena seeking disciplinary action against these officers for ''misuse'' of their official position and seeking confidential information into the probe against special secretary vigilance.

He said that a proposal for his visit to Ghana, scheduled to be held in October, is pending since June with the Finance department, despite clearance from the Centre's Finance and External Affairs ministries.

''Now after two months I am told they have sent it back to the Secretariat with the remarks that approval of the LG is needed! These conferences are held every year and the approval of Lieutenant Governor has never been asked for because the Speaker does not work under the LG and whatever clearances are required are given by the Government of India,'' the Speaker said.

Goel said that he had attended the same Conference in Canada last year without any such objection.

He alleged that in the present case, the Finance department held up approval for him but cleared the proposal for the visit of two assembly officers accompanying him.

No immediate reaction was available from Finance department officers on the Speaker's charge.

''Almost all proposals sent by the Assembly Secretariat to the Finance department are kept pending without any reasons and returned with frivolous objections,'' Goel alleged.

The Finance department has left no stone unturned to ''delay and deny'' the financial proposals sent from the Assembly Secretariat, he charged, claiming that there were files pending on canteen payments, appointment of consultant to implement e-Vidhan project, and functioning of the Assembly, with the department.

The Speaker in his letter to the LG alleged that special secretary(services/vigilance) YVVJ Rajasekhar and a deputy secretary (Services) called two section officers of the Assembly secretariat to their department and threatened them of disciplinary action and transfer if they didn't cooperate.

''The Delhi Assembly's Committee on Welfare of OBCs is examining a complaint against Rajasekhar that he secured his appointment in the government on the basis of a false OBC caste certificate.

''There are complaints pending against him before the Committee of Privileges. The Assembly officials were asked to divulge information about the proceedings in these committees which are confidential in nature,'' Goel said at the press conference.

No immediate reaction was available from Rajasekhar, however, official sources alleged that the officer was being targeted since he was handling several sensitive cases including those on excise police irregularities and reconstruction of Chief Minister's bungalow.

''This is a direct interference in the working of the legislature. While we will take necessary action for breach of privilege and contempt, I have strongly recommended to the LG to take action against these officers for misconduct,'' Goel said, calling the incident ''unprecedented.''

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)