Synopsis
Delhi's Lieutenant Governor has appointed Arvinder Singh Lovely as the pro-tem Speaker of the newly elected Assembly, responsible for overseeing the initial session and oath-taking of members. The first meeting is set for February 24, with significant CAG reports expected to reveal past financial irregularities.Key Takeaways
- Arvinder Singh Lovely appointed pro-tem Speaker.
- New Assembly's first sitting on February 24.
- CAG reports expected to be discussed.
- Previous excise policy may have caused significant revenue loss.
- Approval for a three-day legislative session.
New Delhi, Feb 22 (NationPress) Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena has appointed Arvinder Singh Lovely, a legislator from Gandhi Nagar, as the pro-tem Speaker of the Delhi Assembly. He will oversee the proceedings during the assembly's inaugural session on Monday.
The four-time legislator will carry out the responsibilities of the Speaker's Office until a new Speaker is elected.
A notification in the Delhi Gazette included an order from the Lieutenant Governor stating, “I hereby appoint Arvinder Singh Lovely, a member of the newly elected Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, to perform the duties of the Office of the Speaker from the commencement of the said meeting and until the new Speaker is elected.”
The order from the LG further clarified, “I also hereby appoint Arvinder Singh Lovely to be the individual before whom Members of the newly elected Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall make and subscribe oath or affirmation in accordance with the provisions of section 12 of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991.”
The inaugural sitting of the new 70-member Assembly is scheduled for February 24, where the Speaker will be elected, with reports from the CAG anticipated to be presented on February 25.
Vijender Gupta, a three-time legislator and councillor nominated by the BJP for the next Speaker position, mentioned that the Delhi Cabinet approved a proposal for a three-day legislative session on February 24, 25, and 27 during its first meeting on Thursday.
He noted that since the CAG reports, including one highlighting issues with the now-retracted excise policy, have already been received by the outgoing Assembly's Speaker, they will be prioritized in the new House.
These CAG reports are expected to reveal the alleged financial mismanagement of the former AAP administrations led by Arvind Kejriwal.
Preliminary information from some CAG reports that entered the public domain indicated a revenue loss exceeding Rs 2,026 crore due to irregularities in the Delhi government's excise policy.
