New Delhi: A division bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday delivered a split verdict on who controls the administrative services in Delhi – a long-standing source of conflict between the Centre and the elected city government.The bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan was, however, unanimous that the Centre has control over the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).In their order, the judges decided on several major issues, of which four went in favour of the Centre. These included the control of the ACB, which is the state government’s vigilance department. ACB officers are from the Delhi police, and they have the power to register FIRs and make arrests in alleged corruption cases.The court also said the right to post and transfer Grade 1 and Grade 2 officers and the power to institute a commission of inquiry lay with the Centre.The major powers which the apex court decided would remain with the elected government were decision-making related to electricity reforms and the power to announce a revision in the minimum rates for agricultural land. In this case, the court held, the Lieutenant-Governor would only be empowered to refer the matter to the president.The court also held that the power to appoint special public prosecutors would lie with the elected government.The major difference between the two judges was on the administrative services. Justice Bhushan held that the services are completely outside the purview of the Delhi government. Justice Sikri, however, ruled that transfers and posting of officers of and above the rank of joint secretary would come under the powers of the L-G, while those of the other officers would be under the control of the elected Delhi government.Also read: Delhi Power Tussle: LG Is Flirting Dangerously Close to Contempt of CourtAs they could not agree on this point, the judges said a three-judge bench would decide on the issue of services.In one of the first reactions, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh tweeted that justice delayed is justice denied. He asked if the court has lost its dignity.क्या सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने अपनी सारी गरिमा समाप्त कर दी है? “न्याय में विलम्ब न्याय नही है” जज को जनता भगवान मानती है लेकिन भगवान भी इंसाफ़ करने में विफल है। https://t.co/7zsDADs00a— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) February 14, 2019AAP joint secretary Akshay Marathe also expressed a similar opinion.Two senior judges of the SC who were part of the Constitution Bench took an additional 5 months to hear the matter & 3 months to draft their judgments, but still could not come to a conclusion. By what moral authority are they telling rival political parties to work together?— Akshay Marathe (@AkshayMarathe) February 14, 2019The Delhi unit of the BJP welcomed the Supreme Court judgement. It removes ambiguities in the powers of the Delhi government, leader of the opposition in the Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta said on Twitter.We welcome the Supreme Court decision removing ambiguities in the powers of the Delhi govt. After this verdict there shouldn’t be any scope for confusion or conflict. The Delhi govt shpuld humbly accept it & govern the capital as it was being done before they had come to power.— Vijender Gupta (@Gupta_vijender) February 14, 2019Earlier on July 4, 2018, a five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court had laid down the broad contours of the relationship between the Centre and the elected government in Delhi. It ruled that the L-G did not have independent decision-making powers and the real power had to lie with the elected government.The bench had advised both parties to engage in “collaborative federalism”. It restricted the jurisdiction of the L-G to matters pertaining to land, police and public order. On all other matters, it held that the L-G had would have to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers.However, the apex court last year did not go into the individual challenges, pertaining to the distribution of powers in separate areas, and left these to future adjudication.The matter before the two-judge bench primarily pertained to who controlled services in Delhi – the Centre or the elected government. The issue was important because services include the power to appoint, post and transfer officials in the Delhi administration, the control over the ACN and the power to appoint a commission of inquiry.Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has been accusing the Centre of preventing the functioning of his government through the office of the LG.After the Supreme Court verdict last year, the Delhi government told the court that it wanted to know where it stands with regard to the administration of the city.The Centre claimed that it had delegated its power to the L-G as the administrator of Delhi and that services should be administered through him. It had also submitted that unless the president so directs, the L-G, as administrator of Delhi, could not consult the chief minister or the council of ministers.The bench of Justice Bhushan and Justice Sikri had reserved its verdict on November 1 in the matter. It pronounced the judgment after nearly 3.5 months on Thursday.