The Supreme Court is set to announce its decision today regarding the ongoing dispute between the Centre and the Delhi government over control of services in the national capital. The five-judge Constitution bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, will be delivering the verdict after hearing arguments from both sides for almost four-and-a-half days. The court has updated its website stating that only one verdict in the matter is expected to be pronounced.
The legal issue being heard is over the extent of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and the Delhi government regarding control of services in the national capital. The Delhi government filed a petition after a split verdict in 2019, where a two-judge bench recommended a three-judge bench to decide on the issue of service control.
In 2018, a five-judge Constitution bench unanimously ruled that the Delhi Lieutenant Governor was required to follow the advice of the elected government and that both parties needed to work together harmoniously. However, in the 2019 verdict, Justice Bhushan ruled that the Delhi government had no power over administrative services, while Justice Sikri stated that only the Centre had the authority to transfer or post officers in high-level bureaucratic positions.
The Supreme Court bench, consisting of Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli, and P S Narasimha, reserved its order on January 18, and the decision will be announced today.
