Delhi under central government's control: Centre to HC

New Delhi: Delhi is under the overall control of the central government as it is not a full-fledged state but a union territory, the centre told the court on Wednesday during the hearing on a bunch of pleas over the powers of the Lt. Governor on governance in the city.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath was further informed by the Additional Solicitor Genral (ASG) Sanjay Jain appearing for Centre that the Lt. Governor is the executive head of the state. Saying Delhi is centrally-administered capital, the Centre said the chief minister and his council has to aid and advise Lt.

Governor, if there is a difference. The court was hearing a bunch of pleas arising out of spat between the Lt. Governor and the Delhi government.

In one of its pleas, the Delhi government challenged the May 21 notification of the Centre giving the Lt. Governor absolute powers to appoint bureaucrats to various posts in the Delhi government and barring the Anti Corruption Bureau from proceeding against any staff under the Centre's control.