Contempt proceedings will start against the South Delhi Municipal Corporation Commissioner and the Director of Local Bodies (DLB) by the Privilege Committee over failure to turn up for the Delhi Assembly’s Questions and Reference Committee proceedings on Tuesday.
At loggerheads
With both the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led municipal corporations at loggerheads over development works in the run-up for the municipal polls slated in May next year, the matter has reached the Delhi Assembly after the SDMC passed a proposal “not allowing” MLAs to spend their funds on street lighting and installing open gyms and swings in its parks.
“Lied”
The Questions and Reference Committee of the Delhi Assembly had summoned the SDMC commissioner on Tuesday after AAP Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed the civic body had “lied” to a question over MLALAD funds. Additional Commissioner Meeta Singh was present on behalf of the SDMC Commissioner.
However, Mr. Bhardwaj said she didn’t know much about the issue and “fumbled in front of the committee”.
“She told the committee that a meeting of Mayors was scheduled at the same time, thus the Commissioner couldn’t be present. But the Commissioner never informed the committee about the Mayors’ meeting. He will now face contempt proceedings by the Privilege Committee,” Mr. Bhardwaj said.
AAP MLAs have accused the BJP-led SDMC of stalling developmental projects undertaken by them by not allowing them to utilise their “discretionary” funds and also not issuing No Objection certificates (NOCs).
The SDMC had recently passed a resolution directing its staff not to issue NOCs and undertake developmental work like installing LED lights, open gyms and swings in parks.
However, the MLAs admitted that the SDMC’s counterparts — the North and East corporations — have not passed any such resolutions and that MLAs in North and East Delhi aren’t facing any problems in getting their work done. “Surprisingly, they are saying that it may lead to duplication of work. The MPs can get the same work done, but not the MLAs. Obviously, there is a conspiracy behind it,” he said.
Another meeting
The Committee will now hold another meeting on December 19 and SDMC Commissioner and DLB have been summoned again.
The AAP MLAs said the BJP leadership in the SDMC is “scared” as it hasn’t carried out any work in the past four-and-a-half years since the 2012 municipal elections.
“And now they don’t want the AAP MLAs to do any work either. Ms. Singh said in the meeting that the resolution passed by the House will be either sent to the Lieutenant-Governor for his opinion or back to the Standing Committee for reconsideration. This shows that the resolution has no legal veracity,” he said.
