Services row: SC to consider listing plea of Delhi govt against central law

New Delhi, Apr 26 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Friday told the Delhi government that it would consider listing its plea challenging the central government’s law establishing pre-eminence of the lieutenant governor over the elected dispensation in controlling services in the national capital.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was urged by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the AAP government, that the whole administration has come to a standstill and the matter needed to be heard.

The CJI said presently a nine-judge bench matter is going on and he will consider the submission.

Presently, the nine-judge bench headed by the CJI is hearing petitions raising a vexed legal question whether private properties can be considered “material resources of the community” under Article 39(b) of the Constitution, which is a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy.

The top court had earlier referred to a five-judge Constitution bench the Delhi government’s plea challenging the Centre’s May 19, last year ordinance which took away the control over services from the city dispensation and set off a fresh tussle between the two power centres.

Later, a central law replaced the ordinance on the issue.