HC declines early hearing on Delhi Assembly Speaker's plea

The Delhi High Court today declined to grant an early hearing to a plea by the Delhi Assembly Speaker against the then LG's decision to repatriate the Assembly secretary back to his parent organisation Prasar Bharati.
An early hearing before February 9 was initially sought from the court on the ground that Prasanna Kumar Suryadevara, who is in the middle of a tug-of-war between the Speaker and Prasar Bharati over his posting, is facing a disciplinary hearing on that date.
However, the court master said as per the instructions he received from Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, before whom the matter was listed, March 21 was an appropriate date and listed it on that date for hearing.

The request for an early date was made as the judge could not take up the plea today as he was part of a larger special bench hearing some other matter.
The court on the last date had left it to Lieutenant Governor (LG) Anil Baijal to decide whether or not to review the order relieving Suryadevara.
It had decided to await the LG's decision as a discussion between Speaker Ram Niwas Goel and the director general of All India Radio, over posting of Suryadevara, failed to arrive at solution to the impasse. The meeting was held on the court's suggestion to find an "amicable solution" to the issue.

When contacted, Delhi government standing counsel Rahul Mehra said that pursuant to the order of the court, he had written to the LG's office but has not yet received any communication from there.

The court, on the last date, had also said it would not injunct or interfere in the disciplinary proceeding against Suryadevara on account of his newspaper article -- 'Neither Office, Nor Profit' -- saying, "On that you (official) take your own remedies."
Prasar Bharti had earlier argued it was "not in a position" to spare anyone as it is "facing a huge manpower crunch" and that the petition was a service matter for which the appropriate forum was the Central Administrative Tribunal.

Suryadevara, an officer belonging to Newsreader-cum- Translator (Telugu) cadre, was deputed to Delhi Assembly for a year after which the then LG Najeeb Jung had relieved him.
Goel, however, had refused to relieve Suryadevara, saying that as the Speaker also holds a constitutional office, the LG cannot repatriate the Assembly secretary without his concurrence.
Suryadevara has earlier served in the office of the Lok Sabha Speaker for five years and that of Rajya Sabha Chairman for over six years.