Delhi govt has control over services: Supreme Court on Delhi-Centre power row

In a unanimous verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Delhi government has legislative and executive powers over services.

Hearing the Centre versus the Delhi government over the issue of demarcation of power, a constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said an elected government needs to have control over the administration.

It refused to agree with the 2019 judgement of Justice Ashok Bhushan that the city government has no power over the issue of services.

The bench, which also comprised Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha, said democracy and federal structure are part of the basic structure of the Constitution.

The constitution bench was set up to hear the legal issue concerning the scope of legislative and executive powers of the Centre and the National Capital Territory government over control of services in Delhi.