Delhi Assembly's session today: AAJ, BJP to lock horns over metro fare hike

The one-day special session of the Delhi Assembly on Wednesday is expected to be a stormy affair with the ruling AAP and opposition BJP set to lock horns on a series of issues, including the proposed Metro fare hike and guest teachers bill.

Lt Governor Anil Baijal's communication to the Centre to withdraw powers of Department Related Standing Committees (DRSC) of the assembly may also be raised in the House tomorrow.

Baijal had also written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal requesting him to reconsider the guest teacher regularisation bill, saying it was not in accordance with the constitutional scheme of governance of NCT of Delhi.
 

In the letter, the Lt Governor argued that the matter relating to 'services' falls beyond the legislative competence of the assembly.

The bill is scheduled to be tabled in the House today.

Asked about the response after the LG's letter to the chief minister, city government sources said the assembly would take a final call on the tabling of the Bill.

"This matter (Bill) is related to education not services" they said.

In a statement, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta said the Bill was Aam Aadmi Party's "sheer populist measure".

"It is not a serious Bill on a sensitive issue which involves the fate of 17,000 teachers. A more responsible, in depth, legal and constitutional frame work was expected for introduction of the Bill in the august House," the statement said.

Besides, the ruling AAP legislators are also expected to raise the issue of Metro fare hike in the special session.

The Aam Aadmi Party has been opposing any hike in the Metro fares which are scheduled to be effective from October 10 in the city.

Apart from this, the AAP and BJP MLAs may also seek to corner each other over the Lt Governor's move to withdraw the powers of House's department-related standing committees.

"The Delhi government must apprise the assembly tomorrow of the message of the LG regarding DRSC. It is important to bring it to the notice of the House," Gupta's office said in a statement.

It also stated that the LG had conveyed to the Center that these committees had been given "unconstitutional powers and must be withdrawn".