The Delhi high court today refused to stay the union home ministry’s May 21 notification holding that the Delhi Lt. Governor has discretionary powers for appointments and transfers to key bureaucratic posts in the capital.
NDTV reported that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had proposed in court an "interim arrangement":
that the government will send its decisions - including the appointment of bureaucrats - to the Lieutenant Governor; he can then express his disagreement. If neither side backs down, the President of India can make a call.
Justice Rajiv Shakdher declined to change the primacy of the lt.governor in the administrative mechanism of the capital, while issuing notice to the central government and asking it to file an affidavit indicating the practice followed in past on posting officers in Delhi and other union territories.
The court also said that a request of Delhi government to place certain officers will be decided by the lt. governor till a final decision is taken on the petition.