NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding stiff opposition from the Chief Minister's camp, Delhi Assembly Speaker Chaudhary Prem Singh on Thursday nominated senior Congress leader and MLA S.C. Vats as Chairman of the Petitions Committee of the State Assembly. In addition, Anil Bhardwaj was re-nominated Chairman of the Estimates Committee and Vijay Lochav to the Public Sector Undertakings Committee.

Mr. Prem Singh cleared all the Delhi Assembly Committees on Thursday nominating Sarojni Nagar MLA Ashok Ahuja as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Mr. Ahuja's nomination is understood to have been backed by the party high command as he is considered close to 10 Janpath. However, the most surprising nomination, despite opposition from the Chief Minister, has been that of Dr. Vats.

Incidentally, Dr. Vats, who till March 31 this year was the PAC Chairman, had come out with reports indicting the Delhi Government and its officials on bungling in privatisation of the power sector in 2002 and also in the multi-crore smart card scam involving the Transport Department, an issue that is being probed by the Central Vigilance Commission.

His nomination is bound to ruffle feathers among the loyalist camp as they are already blaming Mr. Prem Singh for playing into the hands of the dissidents.

High command

It is learnt that Mr. Prem Singh decided to go ahead with the nomination of Dr. Vats after having discussed the matter with the party high command that favoured his nomination to the Petitions Committee that was previously headed by former Minister, Pervez Hashmi. The DPCC president and Rohtas Nagar MLA, Ram Babu Sharma, has been nominated Chairman of the Environment Committee of the Delhi Assembly.

Business

The crucial Business Advisory Committee headed by the Speaker that decides the business of the House includes Deputy Speaker Shoaib Iqbal, Congress Chief Whip Ramakant Goswami, Anil Bhardwaj, Shadi Ram, Charan Singh Kandera, Sahib Singh Chauhan, S.P. Ratawal and Ramvir Singh Bidhuri.

Mr. Prem Singh also nominated 14 MLAs to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

They are Rajesh Jain, Jai Kishen, Jile Singh Chauhan, Kiran Walia, Vijay Singh Lochav, Mala Ram Gangwal, Mahabal Mishra, S.P. Bittoo, Surinder Kumar, Kanwar Karan Singh, Harsharan Singh Balli, Mohan Singh Bisht, Moti Lal Sodhi and Ramvir Singh Bidhuri.

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