New Delhi, Jul 4 (IANS): Delhi will suffer if the Lt Governor and the Delhi government do not work together or are in conflict, former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said on Wednesday.
She said the Supreme Court ruling clipping the Lt. Governor's powers was a mere reiteration of the fact that the Delhi government's powers cannot be compared with other states and she advocated more cooperation between the city government and Lt Governor Anil Baijal.
"The Supreme Court has given a clear judgment. As per Article 239AA of the Constitution, Delhi is not a state. It is a Union Territory. Hence, Delhi government's powers should not be compared with those of other states. Land and law and order directly come under the LG," the Congress leader said.
"But whether a subject comes under the Lt Governor or the city government, Delhi will suffer if they do not work together or are in conflict," she said.
"You have to find a way as even the Congress was in power in Delhi for 15 years and never had a conflict (with Lt Governor). In cases of conflict, we used to resolve it amongst ourselves. Some times the government and some times the LG used to step back," she said.
A Supreme Court Constitution Bench on Wednesday ruled that the real powers of governance in Delhi rested with elected representatives and that the Lt Governor was bound to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.