Day after Delhi LG recalls files, Gahlot loses law portfolio to Atishi

Kailash Gahlot was divested of the Law and Justice portfolio in the AAP government on Friday, a day after LG V K Saxena recalled files related to judicial infrastructure and administration in the city as they remained pending with him for months, officials said.

They said the Chief Minister's Office wrote to the LG office recommending to assign the charge of the law ministry to Atishi and it has received Saxena's nod.

The AAP government has not officially responded to queries.

With this change, the number of portfolios held by Atishi has increased to 14, the highest among the ministers of the Kejriwal government. Earlier in October, she was handed over the charge of water department.

 

In June, Atishi was given charge of the Revenue, Planning and the Finance Departments, the portfolios earlier held by Gahlot.

Gahlot now holds the charge of Transport, Home, Administrative Reforms and Information Technology departments.

Saxena on Thursday recalled files related to courts, judicial infrastructure, expeditious justice delivery and administration system in the city, due to "delay" in clearing them by the law minister, officials had said.

The Lt Governor has directed officials to submit to him within three days files pending with the law minister for up to six months, for perusal and consideration, they said.

The LG Secretariat was informed by a report of the principal secretary (law and justice) that 18 files were pending with the Law minister and there was no response to his request for expeditiously decide on them, officials had said.

The LG while recalling the files expressed his serious view of the pendency of large number of important proposals relating to court and judicial administration and pointed out that delays by the law minister was creating barriers in the administration of justice in the capital, they had said.