Delhi Legislative Assembly to be convened on August 16; first session after services bill passed in Parliament

The Delhi Legislative Assembly has been convened next week on August 16 to resume the third part of the fourth session. The Delhi Assembly will assemble for the first time since the bill to replace the ordinance on control of services in the national capital has been passed in both houses of Parliament. “I have the honour to inform you that under Rule-17(2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Legislative Assembly of National Capital Territory of Delhi, the Hon’ble Speaker has directed to re-convene the Fourth Session of the Seventh Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi. Accordingly, the Third Part of the Fourth Session will commence from Wednesday, August 16,” the summon issued by Assembly Secretary said. The National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was passed by the Lok Sabha last week, replaces an ordinance promulgated by the Centre for handling the transfers and postings of officials in the Delhi government. The Upper House on Monday passed the Bill that empowers Lieutenant Governor of Delhi to control Group A services in Delhi including on matters relating to appointments, transfers and postings. The bill was passed after a division in which 131 MPs voted in favour of the legislation and 102 against it. As soon as the Bill recieved a nod in Parliament, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched an attack on the Centre on Monday saying that the legislation is an attempt “to reign Delhi from the back door.” “These people (BJP) have seen that it is very difficult to defeat AAP in Delhi. In last four elections– 2013, 2015, 2020 and recent MCD polls– BJP lost to AAP. It has been more than 25 years in Delhi, the BJP government has not been formed. The people of Delhi have given them exile for 25 years, so these people felt that it is difficult to defeat AAP, so these people have tried to reign Delhi from the back door,” Kejriwal said in video message, soon after the contentious bill was passed in Rajya Sabha.