``The Standing Committee on Urban and Rural Development, which was to examine the issue, has deferred its meetings till the government takes a decision on the implementation of the Act,'' Shivaraj Asthana, director in the ministry's department of Urban Development stated in his affidavit, bringing the matter back to square one.

Ironically, the same committee is supposed to examine the Delhi Rent (Amendment) Bill, 1997, which would facilitate the notification of the original Act along with its amendments.

After perusing the affidavit, the Delhi High Court had on November 2 last year reserved its order on a petition filed by Common Cause, seeking a direction to the government for a quick implementation of the Act.

The ministry's affidavit added that following the change of guard at the Centre, the Law ministry had advised them that the government's orders must be obtained on all pending Bills. The government, on the other hand, has chosen to steer clear of any controversy by keeping silent on the issue.

The government was compelled to draft the amendment Bill to accommodate the demands of a tenants, who had termed the Act as heavily tilted in favour of landlords. The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on August 6, 1997 and contained provisions to balance the earlier ``tilt.'' The Rajya Sabha referred it to the committee on August 6 the same year. However, the earlier panel was dissolved after the elections and a new one constituted by the new government to initiate the deliberations on the issue all over again. The members of the new committee, according to the affidavit, had their first sitting on August 14 last year and deferred further examination on the matter till the government takes a decision.