From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, a former IAS officer of 1969 cadre with a long career spanning over 37 years, on Wednesday sent in his resignation to President Ram Nath Kovind, citing personal reasons.
He had taken over as the 21st Lt Governor of Delhi on December 31, 2016 and completed his 5-year term in 2021, when the Modi government asked him to continue in the post for the second term.
Baijal was the union home secretary under Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee/. He retired from service in 2006 as secretary of the Urban Development Ministry. He was appointed the Lt Governor following a sudden resignation of Najeeb Jung.
He had a running battle with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over a score of the governance-related issues. The biggest face-off came when Kejriwal and his Cabinet ministers held a dharna in the LG office, alleging that the IAS officers posted with Delhi government were not cooperating with the elected representatives. One of the main issues was installation of the CCTV cameras across the city.
In 2021, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Amendment Act was passed by Parliament, making the Lt Governor effectively the overall head of Delhi government that required all files of the government be passed through Baijal.
A petition of the AAP government to decide who is boss of the IAS officers posted in Delhi Government — the elected government or the Centre through the lt governor. Recently, the case was sent to a constitutional bench of five judges to decide.
Since Baijal’s resignation came suddenly as a surprise, there is no clarity whether the Modi government will opt for a retired IAS officer as his successor as has been the case of appointment of many Lt Governors of Delhi.
