NEW DELHI: The manner in which the Congress leaders in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi led by the Mayor, Satbir Singh, the Leader of the House, Jitendra Kochar, and Chairman of the MCD Standing Committee, Mukesh Goyal, have gone out of the way to plead the case of farmhouse owners has raised many eyebrows in the Capital's political and administrative circles.

The matter is understood to have been discussed even by the AICC general secretary in charge of Delhi affairs, Ashok Gehlot.

What has surprised many is the manner in which Congress leaders in the civic body have raised their voice against the Delhi High Court order seeking answers to illegal use of farmhouses at various places across the Capital.

Civic problems

According to observers, the Capital is plagued by various civic problems including dengue, broken roads, lack of cleanliness, stray cattle and a rapidly deteriorating quality of civic services, but these have never caught the attention of the Congress leaders or warranted such prompt action by the Corporation.

Ever since the Court put its foot down on the issue of illegal use of farmhouses, the MCD leaders have held meetings, met Mr. Gehlot and the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, and even convened a special session of the MCD House to discuss this "important'' issue.

`It may cause chaos'

Their plea is that if farmhouses were not allowed to host functions it would lead to chaos in the city, as people would find it extremely difficult to organise personal functions.

Observers feel that it took the intervention of the Court to wake these leaders up from their deep slumber.

"For these leaders, the suffering of the local population or those affected by the massive commercialisation of farmhouses is of no concern. They are just pleading the cases of the rich and famous as they would have to fall back upon them during the MCD polls to be held in early 2007,'' a senior MCD official remarked.

`No concern for common man'

Another official was of the view that when these leaders were well aware that the matter was in Court, they failed to put in place certain norms for functioning of these farmhouses or their commercial use.

"These farmhouse owners have no concern for the common man. They occupy huge parking space along main roads and service lanes and hold the people of the area to ransom,'' another official stated.

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