NEW DELHI, July 25: The central cabinet on Tuesday is learnt to have cleared a bill to replace the ordinance that gives the centre greater control over the posting of officers in Delhi.
Official sources said the bill would be introduced in the parliament soon.
The ordinance had become one of the latest flashpoints between the BJP and the Arvind Kejriwal government in Delhi. The AAP dispensation, backed by the Congress and other Opposition parties, has vehemently opposed the ordinance and even challenged it in the Supreme Court.
An ordinance is promulgated by the government to give effect to an executive order when Parliament is not in session but a bill to replace the ordinance must be passed by both the houses within six weeks of its reassembly.
The ordinance seeks to set up a National Capital Civil Service Authority for the transfer of Group A officers from the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services (DANICS) cadre. It would also empower the body to initiate disciplinary actions against them.
The opposition parties had earlier decided to unitedly vote against the bill. While the government still may have an easy passage in the Lok Sabha, the combined opposition is working on a strategy to try to defeat it in the Rajya Sabha where the combined opposition has sizeable number of members to match the ruling combination.
However, if the logjam continued in Parliament over the Manipur issue, the government might manage to get the bill through without any discussion.
(Manas Dasgupta)