LG 'misusing' powers; not allowing Delhi govt to send teachers abroad for training, alleges Manish Sisodia

NEW DELHI : Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Thursday alleged that Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena is "misusing the powers of the unconstitutionally amended GNCTD Act" by not allowing the Delhi government to send its teachers abroad for training. He said the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab government is sending its teachers to Singapore for a training programme on Saturday. However, in Delhi, Saxena is "stopping" the Kejriwal government from doing the same.

He alleged that the amendment in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act has given LG powers to interfere in the functioning of the Delhi government. "This is happening because he is misusing the powers given to him by the unconstitutionally amended GNCTD Act," he claimed, adding this is why "the Delhi government today is not able to send its teachers for training abroad." The 2021 amendment act had come into force after being passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on March 22 and March 24, respectively. The AAP-led Delhi government has approached the Supreme Court on the matter.

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Sisodia, who also holds the education portfolio, said Punjab is learning from Delhi's experience. "After forming the government, we started sending our teachers on training in the second and third year. But the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab is learning from Delhi's experiences and has started sending its teachers on international training in the first year itself," the senior AAP leader said.

Teacher training

Stressing the importance of such programmes, Sisodia said they are necessary because a large number of children from Punjab go abroad for education, which will stop if the teachers will be trained. "We worked on this concept in Delhi and are now working in Punjab as well. It is a matter of great pride that a team of 36 teachers and 2 education officers of the Punjab government is going to Singapore for international training," he said.

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The minister said the file to send Delhi teachers to Finland has been in circulation since October last year. "According to the constitution of the country, the governments of all the states of the country have full right to work on education. The Delhi government should have as much freedom as the government of Punjab or any other state to send its teachers to foreign countries for training," he said. "But it is unfortunate that the LG in Delhi is misusing the law to stop teachers from getting global exposure," Sisodia alleged, adding, "When the government of one state can send its teachers abroad for training, then the government of another state should also be able to send their teachers abroad."

The Bharatiya Janata Party accused AAP of creating constitutional conflicts. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the AAP government is not keen on appointing teachers and principals and is only creating constitutional conflicts. He said the people of Delhi know that to improve the government schools, there is a need to appoint more than 24,000 teachers and training some teachers abroad will not help bring in the improvement. "It is a matter of regret that the Kejriwal government is not interested in the appointment of teachers and principals, it only wants to create a constitutional conflict, while the Lt Governor of Delhi who has appointed 6,100 teachers in schools in the last 6 months," he said in a statement.