Aishwarya Rathore
The Delhi High Court, on Thursday, decided that a promise, assurance, or representation made by a State’s Chief Minister (CM) is an enforceable commitment that must be implemented by the Government.
As a result, a single-judge bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh ordered that the Delhi Government was bound by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s assurance issued in a Press Conference on March 29, 2020, in which he stated that if any tenant is unable to pay rent, the Delhi Government will pay it on their behalf.
The Court ruled that the assurance/promise given by the Chief Minister is enforceable, both based on the doctrines of promissory estoppel and legitimate expectations.
The Court held, “This court is of the opinion that the promise/assurance/representation given by the CM clearly amounts to an enforceable promise, the implementation of which ought to be considered by the Government. Good governance requires that promises made to citizens, by those who govern, are not broken, without valid and justifiable reasons.”
The Court, therefore, ordered the Delhi Government to take steps to frame a policy to carry out the assurance given by the CM Arvind Kejriwal.
The Court said, “The GNCTD would, having regard to the statement made by the CM on 29th March, 2020, to landlords and tenants, take a decision as to the implementation of the same within a period of 6 week.”