New Delhi, Jan 10 – The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Lieutenant Governor (LG) for his stance on a petition by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) against the alleged freezing of its funds by state authorities.
The petition challenges the withholding of funds pending an enquiry and special audit over alleged misuse of government funds.
Justice Subramonium Prasad noted that certain portions of the press note on the action ordered by LG VK Saxena against the child rights body took a “political colour” and asked the LG’s counsel to seek instructions.
The press note in question mentioned that DCPCR’s former Chairperson, Anurag Kundu, and six members were politically affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The court expressed concern about the potential political motivations behind the action.
Saxena’s counsel stated that the action was taken based on the recommendation of other state authorities and requested time to seek instructions.
Last year, Saxena approved an enquiry and special audit into the alleged misuse of funds by DCPCR, directing a halt to further fund allocation until the completion of the enquiry.
DCPCR’s senior advocate informed the court that the allocation of funds to the child rights body has stopped.
Now the next hearing is likely to be held on January 19. Justice Prasad had, on Tuesday, directed the DCPCR’s counsel to serve a copy of the plea to the LG’s office and inform them about the scheduled listing.
This petition was transferred from the Supreme Court, where on December 15, the apex court had instructed the DCPCR to present its grievances before the Delhi HC after it raised concerns about the freezing of its funds by state authorities.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the DCPCR, had argued in the Supreme Court that the funds of the commission should not be frozen, stressing the impact on the services provided to six million children in the state.
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