The Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor (LG) have once again locked horns over the regularisation of guest teachers in the national capital.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday accused LG Anil Baijal for refusing to have a discussion on the issue of granting weightage to guest teachers during recruitment. However, Baijal said that relaxation in age has already been granted to guest teachers in direct recruitment and granting of weightage in marks to a certain category of candidates “will be a violation of the Constitution”.

In a letter to the LG, Sisodia, who also holds education portfolio, expressed his disappointment following his meeting with the LG earlier in the day on the issue of regularisation of guest teachers.

“The High Court in its last hearing on a matter related to teachers’ recruitment had directed that you and I should put our heads together to resolve the guest teacher issue. But when I came to meet you today(on Thursday), I was deeply disturbed to find that you were not willing to even discuss the issue,” Sisodia said in the letter.

“You said to me that the decision on the issue is your prerogative and you were firm that there was no scope of discussion,” Sisodia added.

Countering the allegations, the LG office, issued a statement saying, “Deputy CM was informed that the matter has been examined in detail and after an elaborate legal consultation, it was the considered view that granting of weightage in marks to a category of candidates is violative of the constitutional rights under Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution”.

“Successive law secretaries as well as senior law officers have also opined against grant of weightage in marks in recruitment process,” it added.

The statement said that the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) has already advertised 9,232 vacancies and the entire process is slated to be completed by 15 September 2018.

“As on date, 5.5 lakh applications have been received for recruitment against these vacancies. It is extremely important that the process, now started to fill vacant posts of teachers, is completed expeditiously,” the LG office said, adding that the age relaxation has already been granted to the guest teachers to appear for the DSSSB examination.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Twitter termed the LG’s stand over the issue “not correct”.

“L-G sir, (Jantantar samvand se chalta hai) democracy is run by dialogue. The whole world recognises Manish Sisodia’s work in transforming Delhi’s edu system. And u r not even willing to engage wid him on the issue of teachers’ appointment. This is not correct sir ,” Kejriwal tweeted.