As the political tussle over the recurring adjournments of mayoral polls continues, officials at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said the civic body’s annual budget will be passed by the Centre-appointed special officer.
Deadline heat
According to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, the annual budget has to be cleared on or before February 15. In the absence of a Mayor, the special officer is allowed to pass the budget, as the latter holds the powers of the civic body. In December last year, MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti had presented the budget estimates for 2023-24, with the estimated expenditure standing at ₹16,023 crore.
An MCD official explained that if a Mayor was elected in the previous House meeting, then an anticipatory approval for the budget would have been taken from the latter. However, the delay will now result in the budget being passed without presenting it before the House. “This also means that the MCD’s schedule of taxes, including property tax, will not be presented before the elected House. The latter will also not be able to debate on the proposed budget,” said the MCD official.
Earlier, AAP had alleged that the MCD’s executive wing discreetly passed the budget without informing the ruling party. The MCD responded saying the budget was yet to be cleared.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said it is the first time since 1996 that the civic body’s budget is likely to be passed without the involvement of the public representatives. AAP is “solely responsible” for the situation, he added.
AAP councillor and former leader of the opposition in the MCD Prem Chauhan said it was evident that the delay in electing the Mayor was caused by the BJP. “As a result, the councillors will not be able to debate over the budget provisions,” he said.
