Delhi law department refuses to clear lawyers' bills citing violation of rules

New Delhi: The Delhi government's law department has refused to clear lawyers' bills running into several crore rupees due to "non-compliance of financial rules" and violation of terms of their engagements allegedly by minister Kailash Gahlot, official sources said on Tuesday.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that stopping payment of lawyers engaged by the government was "wrong" and charged the lieutenant government and the BJP with obstructing the AAP government's works in Delhi.

The bills refused by the department include the fees of two senior advocates — Rs 15.5 lakh and Rs 9.8 lakh — over "blatant departure from rules" formulated by the AAP government itself for engagement of experienced advocates on record, the sources said.

"The Principal Secretary (Law) has submitted a report to the Law Minister, Delhi Lt Governor and Chief Minister under Rule 57 of the Transaction of Business of GNCT of Delhi Rules, communicating inability of the department to process the bills due to violation of rules," one of the sources said.

The department has also disagreed on the appointment of several senior advocates in various matters, directly by Law Minister Gahlot, without following "due process", the sources further claimed.

Kejriwal said people do not vote for those creating roadblocks in the works of the government. They just keep creating roadblocks, he alleged, adding first they stopped yoga classes and now they have stopped payments to lawyers.

"LG has stopped so many projects in last six months and they will see the result of the obstruction soon in MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) polls," he said, adding people favour those who work and not those who create obstructions.

Noting that the BJP has eight MLAs in Delhi, Kejriwal said if the party kept on obstructing works of the Delhi government, AAP will win back these seats in the next elections.