Supreme Court to hear AAP government-LG tussle case on March 3

The Supreme Court will hear a case involving the tussle between the AAP government in Delhi and the L-G over appointment and transfer of IAS officers in the NCT. A bench, led by CJI NV Ramana, listed the case for further hearing in March after a short mention by senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Singhvi told a three-judge bench, which also comprised Justices AS Bopanna and Hima Kohli, that the issue had important ramifications for the administration and governance of the NCT of Delhi.

The top court had, in an earlier ruling delivered in April 2018, tried to sort out the differences between the AAP government and the L-G. But the issue of who controls the services had caused a split between the judges and was referred to a larger bench. It has been pending adjudication since then. The court had then held that the L-G must act as per the advice of the council of ministers.

In a subsequent ruling, another two-judge bench, charged with the task of resolving a stalemate over who should control the bureaucracy in the NCT, failed to agree.