New Delhi: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday accused Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena of withholding clearance for Finland-based training for government school teachers. Sisodia once again wrote to the Lieutenant Governor in this context, asking him to approve the training program immediately.
In the letter, Deputy CM said, "The file related to sending primary teachers of Delhi government schools to Finland for training has been lying on your table since January 20. You have neither given your consent to this proposal nor have you started the process of sending it to the Honourable President for taking a decision on it."
He further said, "Sir, since October 2022 the file is taking rounds in your office. You sent the file back twice on the pretext of seeking clarification. When the Chief Minister along with his ministers and MLAs came to meet you to talk about this, you refused to meet us. That day the media on your behalf said that you have not refused to send teachers to Finland. I had sent the file to you again. This time I was hoping that you would give your consent on this within 24 hours."
Sidodia said that a delegation of 30 teachers could not be sent for training in December 2022 and now once again in March 2023 the training of 30 teachers is also on the verge of cancellation.
"But it has been more than ten days since the file was sent, your approval has not come yet. You unconstitutionally stopped the proposal twice to send teachers to Finland for training. Due to this, a delegation of 30 teachers could not be sent for training in December 2022 and now once again in March 2023 the training of 30 teachers is also on the verge of cancellation" he added.
"That's why I request you again to immediately allow the teachers to be sent to Finland for training. There should be no politics on such important and sensitive issues," he added.
Reacting to the letter, CM Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, "I urge LG to allow our teachers to go abroad for training. Hon'ble LG had himself said that he is not against it."
Notably, Manish Sisodia had resent the proposal on Finland-based teacher training to the Delhi LG, on 20th January.
Prior to this, the LG raised objections twice over the file, despite the government's approval. In the proposal moved, the Deputy CM had noted, "The Government has examined proposals from all aspects, including cost-benefit analysis and finds it essential to improve the quality of education. If the CM and Education Minister have decided to send their teachers abroad, then how can LG scuttle it by repeatedly raising flimsy objections."
In that proposal, Sisodia said that it is against democracy and the Constitution that an unelected individual is deciding and altering almost every decision of a democratically elected government.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)