Days After SC Gave Delhi Government Control Over Services, Centre Issues Ordinance To Take It Back

The Supreme Court on 11 May ruled that the Delhi government will have control over all services in the national capital, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), with the exception of land, police, and law and order.

Tonight, late in the evening of 19 May, the Centre issued an ordinance which effectively gives back the control over the services to the Union. The ordinance makes the Lt. Governor (L-G)the final arbiter in such matters. And the L-G is the representative of the Union government.

Transfer and posting of officials had become a point of tussle between the AAP-led Delhi government and the Centre. On this front, the SC's ruling of 11 May had gone in favour of Delhi government as it implied that the service department comes under the state government's jurisdiction.

Tonight's ordinance however gives the control to the Centre.

However, even before the ordinance, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had voiced apprehensions about the same, calling it a "conspiracy" of the Centre. This was after alleged delay on part of the L-G in clearing the file pertaining to the transfer of Services Secretary Ashish More.