Parliament passes Delhi Services Bill with bill clearing RS despite strong fight by Opposition (Ld)

New Delhi, Aug 8 (IANS) The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed by the Parliament on Monday, despite strong fight by the opposition parties in the upper house.

The Bill on control of transfers, postings of senior officers in Delhi government was passed by Rajya Sabha with 131 votes in favour and 102 against despite a strong fight by the Opposition during the long discussion in the upper house.

The Bill was passed after voting was done through slips after a technical glitch in automated voting machine.

The bill, which has been a point of contention between the Aam Aadmi Party, which governs the national capital, and the central government, was already passed by the Lok Sabha on August 3. It will replace the existing Central government's ordinance on the transfer and posting of officers, brought in just days after the Supreme Court gave executive powers to the Delhi government in service matters in May this year.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, replying to the discussion in the Rajya Sabha, said that the Delhi Services Bill in no way violates the Supreme Court judgement and it is aimed at corruption-free administration in Delhi. He also said that the Centre doesn’t need to snatch power, as 130 crore people have given them the power and also added that the Congress is supporting the AAP only to appease them.

The Home Minister further said that post-independence, Delhi was given an Assembly. “One must read 239AA carefully. The problem is that you have fought the elections of a UT, but want to enjoy the powers of the state,” Shah said. Targeting the AAP, he said: "Delhi was governed by BJP, Congress before 2015, but there was never confrontation with the Centre."

He also said that such a bill can only be introduced for a Union Territory. "This is the problem of mentality that one is fighting elections of a UT but seeking powers of a state," Shah added. He also pointed out that the bill was first brought by the Congress when it was in power.

"I want to assure that none of the provisions of the bill are changed from what it was in the Congress regime," the Minister said.

Shah also said that two members (BJD's Sasmit Patra and BJP's Dr Sudhanshu Trivedi) are saying that they have not signed the motion (to be part of select committee) moved by AAP's Raghav Chadha. "Now it is a matter of investigation how the motion was signed," Shah said.

Following the remarks by Shah, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh said that four MPs have written to him that no consent has been given by them and it will be enquired into.

AIADMK member Dr. M. Thambidurai also claimed that he has not signed on the paper and this is a matter of privilege.

Meanwhile, the Opposition parties strongly opposed the Bill in Rajya Sabha dubbing it as unconstituonal.

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