The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will seek the support of like-minded political parties to counter the BJP-led Central government’s “dictatorial” ordinance on the control of services in Delhi, Punjab Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Bhagwant Mann said on Tuesday.

Talking to newsmen in Chandigarh after flagging off 98 emergency response vehicles for the Punjab Police, Bhagwant Mann accused the Centre of trying to infringe upon the rights of individual states and claimed that by promulgating a “dictatorial” ordinance it wants to supress the duly-elected government in Delhui.

Mann said that AAP will seek support from political parties across the country in a bid to stall the ordinance in the Rajya Sabha.

On Friday, the Central government promulgated an Ordinance to form a National Capital Civil Service Authority to handle the transfers of IAS and DANICS cadre officers and also matters of disciplinary proceedings against them.

The BJP-led Centre’s ordinance essentially circumvented last week’s Supreme Court order which gave the control over services, excluding those related to police, public order, and land, to the elected government in Delhi.

On Monday, the AAP asked all non-BJP parties to unite and help defeat the bill in the Upper House of the Parliament.

Terming it “agni pariksha” (trial by fire), the AAP urged all Opposition parties to come together and to save the country’s democracy and Constitution.

On May 11, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led dispensation, stating that the AAP regime has legislative and executive power over services— including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), except law and order, police and land—and the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) is duty-bound to comply with the elected government’s decision in this matter.

The Delhi government scored a major victory today in its arduous power-struggle with the BJP-ruled Centre as the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led dispensation, stating that the AAP regime has legislative and executive power over services— including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), except law and order, police and land—and the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) is duty-bound to comply with the elected government’s decision in this matter.

In a unanimous verdict, a five-judge Constitution bench of the Apex court which comprises of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud along with Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha, ruled that the Delhi government must have control over services and the Lieutenant Governor is bound by its decision.

The bench observed that the Union Territory of Delhi has ‘sui generis’ (unique) character and has legislative and executive power over services and stated that if a democratically elected government’s responsibility towards the legislature and the electorate becomes diluted if it was denied control over its officers and the power to hold them to account.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has claimed that the youth who left Punjab for settling down in foreign countries are now leaving America, Canada, Australia are now returning back to establish their businesses and start-ups in the state.

The Punjab government said that if the youth return back  from different countries, then the government will initiate them help to start their business. CM Mann said that the youth is seeing better opportunities in the state, the reason for their return.

CM Bhagwant Mann said that big companies are investing  in Punjab to start their business that will lead to development of the state and youth will get new employment opportunities.

CM Mann further stated that the companies, factories and business houses are coming to Punjab seeing the success of the Punjab Police in maintaining a peaceful environment in the state. The Chief Minister lauded the handling of law and order by the state’s Police. He assured the business houses inviting them to the state to invest and setup their companies saying law and order situation will be completely under control.  

On May 12, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had taken a big decision for the industry and investors. With the claims of promoting industrial development, the government had announced green stamp paper to facilitate entrepreneurs to set up their units in the state. With this, the purpose of the land purchased or sold can be easily ascertained.

Regarding this, Mann said that a new system has been introduced to promote ease of doing business for the entrepreneurs who want to set up their units in the state.

The Punjab CM informed that after purchasing the stamp paper, the industrialist would get all necessary approvals from all the departments within 15 days to set up his unit.

CM Mann further said that the green colored stamp paper would symbolize that the industrialist has paid the full fees for the required clearance for the industry.

He announced that the same color coding would be implemented in housing and other areas to ensure optimum utilization of land resources on the one hand and provide convenience to the people on the other. Mann envisioned that this path-breaking idea would make Punjab a leading state in the industrial sector.

On Friday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a drive will be launched from June 1 to take action against illegal occupation on government lands.

The drive will be launched to free all the illegally occupied government lands. CM Mann has set a deadline for all the illegal occupants asking them to vacate themselves by May 31.

Meanwhile Punjab Rural Developement and Panchayat Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Thursday ordered all the District Development and Panchayat Officers (DDPO) of the state to free all the illegally encroached government panchayat lands across the state by June 10.

Dhaliwal stated that last year during the first phase of the drive to clear the illegal encroachments, a total of around 9,400 acres of government lands were freed. While, in the second phase he said 469 acres of lands were freed from illegal possession.

He further added directing that the lands, whose matter is in the court, apart from that all other government panchayat lands should be cleared from possession by June 10.

While addressing a meeting of the DDPOs of the state, Dhaliwal said Chief Minister Mann has given a clear direction for all departments of the the state for providing a transparent and corruption-free administration to the state.

Dhaliwal directed the officers that following the chief minister’s order, no recommendation of any political leader or any influential personality should be entertained during the process of bidding of the land and it should be done in a completely transparent manner.

The Minister said that a minimum amount of Rs 15,000 is fixed for the bidding of Shamlat lands and the money to be accepted by the bidder will be in the form of cash.

He further informed that afforestation drive would be launched across the state from July 1 to put the lands into utilization, the lands which would not be given for lease.