Opinion AAP spokesperson Reena Gupta writes: Delhi budget delay shows tyranny of the unelected
Reena Gupta writes: One of the largest cities in the world cannot be held hostage by bureaucrats controlled by the Centre, writes the AAP spokesperson.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot arrive for the presentation of Delhi Budget for the financial year 2023-24, at Delhi Legislative Assembly, March 22, 2023. (PTI) The Union Home ministry tried to delay the presentation of Delhi’s budget in the legislative assembly through the Centre’s representatives – the LG and bureaucrats. Although the delay was temporary, it highlights the ability of complex bureaucratic manoeuvres to halt budgets on behalf of the central government and the precarious system of governance in Delhi that can be held hostage by a few bureaucrats. This incident is a worrying sign for our vibrant democracy.
Despite the standardisation of the budget approval process for both states and the Centre, the budget – considered to be one of the most critical executive functions of the state – faced a roadblock before its presentation, marking the first such incident in independent India’s history. In January, the Chief Justice of India raised a thought-provoking question during the hearing on the Delhi government vs Centre case: “What is the purpose of having an elected government if bureaucrats are under the Union?” Although the Supreme Court has reserved its verdict, the issue of bureaucrats’ accountability under the Union government’s jurisdiction has been a concern for citizens for several decades given the federal democratic framework enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Additionally, the ongoing misuse of the LG’s office to interfere in the day-to-day functioning of Delhi’s elected government has resulted in a breakdown of essential services for Delhi citizens.
A day before the scheduled presentation of the annual budget in the legislative assembly, the elected Chief Minister of Delhi was forced to announce on national television that the budget had been stalled on some fictitious ground by the Union Home ministry. Delhi’s citizens were shocked to know that their aspirations and demands from the government, which would have been met through the budget, had been stalled by a few conspiring bureaucrats. A few months ago, the Delhi assembly committee exposed how a few bureaucrats, to favour a political party during the municipal elections, decided to stop paying bills for Mohalla Clinics. The only reason officers could decide to take such a mischievous step was that they don’t report to the elected government of Delhi, which makes them liable to manipulation by other actors for political gains. This unprecedented incident of the budget getting stalled has grave ramifications for the governance of Delhi, as it would potentially lead to the government services being dysfunctional in the absence of a budget, essential and emergency services being stalled, critical infrastructure projects being stalled, and most importantly, doctors, nurses, teachers and other government staff not being paid.
This year, Delhi would also be hosting heads of state during the G20 summit, for which civic agencies would need budgetary approvals to complete ongoing critical infrastructure projects on time. It seems nearly impossible to imagine senior bureaucrats acting independently against the larger interests of Delhi’s citizens to score petty political points. We must ask, who instructed them to not pay the bills of Mohalla clinics? Who instructed them to stall Delhi’s budget?
The Union Home Ministry is yet to take any action against such bureaucrats who deliberately chose to not deliver on their duty and conspired against 20 million citizens of Delhi. While we can’t attribute the precise reason for such an unprecedented action, one would hope that the ministry responsible for India’s internal security, sovereignty and stability does not want to send a signal that there is a complete lack of clarity on governance in the national capital.
The Supreme Court in 2018 clearly demarcated the jurisdiction of the elected government of Delhi, the Centre’s representative – the LG – and the union government. The people of Delhi had hoped that the judgment would lead to stability and smoothness in governance. Since citizens have expectations from their elected representatives, and it is the mandate of the elected government to deliver on promises made to citizens through the executive arm of the state or bureaucracy, a system of democratic accountability is established But in Delhi, this framework is broken, as the elected government cannot exercise administrative as well as functional control over the bureaucracy.
In order to prevent any such constitutional crisis in the future, it is essential to safeguard the people of Delhi against such tyranny of the unelected. Delhi, as one of the largest cities in the world, cannot be held hostage by Centre-controlled bureaucrats. As long as India is a democracy, we must follow democratic precedence which is established on the contract of accountability between the elected government and citizens. Any attempts to destabilise this well-established constitutional framework would only lead to distrust in the system among citizens of the national capital territory.
The writer is National Spokesperson, AAP
Share
