Civic Centre chaos as House cuts key panel's powers amid protest

Familiar scenes of pandemonium returned to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led municipal administration, during a special session, pushed through a proposal to transfer the powers of the key standing committee to the house of councillors even as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) protested the move vociferously.

- Paras Singh

NEW DELHI:

Amid the chaos, mayor Shelly Oberoi read out two private member resolutions recommending that the financial powers of standing committee temporarily be vested in the house till the key panel is constituted, and secondly, that a de-sealing drive in markets be initiated from January 19.

Some experts, however, said that the transfer of powers is not legally feasible and can only be done if the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, 1957 is amended by Parliament.

The first private member's resolution, moved by AAP councillors Ankush Narang (Ranjeet Nagar) and Praveen Kumar (Mahavir Enclave), that states that the Delhi government has filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the "illegal appointment of 10 nominated members to the MCD by the LG (lieutenant governor) and the court has reserved the judgement on May 17,2023".

"Due to non-constitution of the standing committee crucial functions have come to a halt...Therefore the house resolves that all sanction approvals for MCD to enter into contract which are ordinarily required to from the standing committee till the writ petition is decided by the Supreme Court," it added.

A second private member resolution, tabled by AAP councillor Prem Chauhan, dealt with the de-sealing of certain shopping centres in Delhi.