New Delhi: LG Anil Baijal on Friday overturned the Delhi government’s decision to open hotels and weekly markets under Unlock 3. It was the third major decision of the Delhi government which was overturned by the LG in the last one-and-a-half months.
It is likely to trigger a confrontation between the Delhi government and the LG.
In Delhi, Distaster Management Act is currently in force, which allows the LG to take decisions related to a disaster and its management. Delhi is currently battling a coronavirus pandemic. The LG is the chairperson of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority.
“While the proposal to allow street vendors and hawkers to operate for longer hours from August 1 was approved, the proposals for opening of hotels and hospitality services and opening of weekly baazars are deferred for the time being and would be reviewed later by Delhi Disaster Management Authority,” said a statement issued by the office.
The statement also said, “The matter was discussed with the chief minister and it was agreed that while there has been improvement, the pandemic situation in the capital continues to be fragile and the threat is still far from over. Therefore, a cautious and conservative approach is required.”
However, the Aam Aadmi Party was not happy over the decision.
“The central government first rejected the home isolation module of the Delhi government. They had to roll back the order when it was opposed. Secondly, the BJP government also rejected a lawyer panel of the AAP government for representing the Delhi riot cases. Lastly, today they have stopped the decision of reopening the hotels and weekly markets. It looks like the BJP is trying to take revenge on the citizens of Delhi,” AAP’s Raghav Chadha was quoted as saying by the TOI.
