Delhi Deputy CM Sisodia writes to LG again, seeks approval of proposal to send teachers to Finland

NEW DELHI: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday wrote another letter to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena asking him to approve the proposal to send Delhi government school teachers to Finland for a training programme. Sisodia, who holds the education portfolio, cited government rules and said the LG "cannot put such proposals on hold" for more than 15 days.

"It has been a month that the LG (lieutenant governor) has put the teachers' training proposal on hold. According to Rule 49 of the amended Transaction of Business of GNCTD 2021, in case of a difference of opinion between the LG and the Minister regarding any matter, the LG must endeavour to resolve the difference of opinion through discussion within 15 days," he said in his letter to Saxena.

He claimed that the LG has raised objections to the proposal and stalled the file twice despite receiving the government's approval. Sisodia has written at least twice before to the LG over the issue. "As per the Constitution and Transaction of Business Rules 1993, education is a transferred subject and GNCTD has exclusive executive control over it. Therefore, the LG has no powers to take any decision in the matter of education," the Aam Aadmi Party leader said.

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If the LG differs with any decision of any minister, "he may refer the matter to the President", Sisodia said in his letter. "…but before referring the matter, he is required to try and resolve it through discussions with the Minister concerned and refer the matter to the Council of Ministers," he said. Sisodia mentioned that if a difference of opinion persists, the matter is to be referred to the council of ministers that will then deliberate on the issue within 10 days, and take a decision.

"If the matter still remains unresolved or a decision is not taken within the stipulated time period by the Council of Ministers, it is deemed that the difference of opinion continues to persist and the matter must be referred to the President by the LG for a final decision as per Rule 50," he said.

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Urging the LG to return the file to begin the process of sending the teachers abroad, the deputy chief minister said that the decision of the Delhi government to send its teachers to Finland for training has attained finality. The Delhi government had on January 20 sent the proposal to the LG Office to allow the teachers to visit Finland after Saxena asked the government to first conduct a cost-benefit analysis of the programme.