Govt to form committee to probe MCD financial status

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 17

Delhi Assembly today passed a resolution on setting up a fact-finding committee under the chairmanship of the Director of Local Bodies to examine the “financial crisis and alleged mismanagement” in the BJP-ruled municipal corporations. The government has been directed to table its report in the next session.

The resolution was moved by AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj and seconded by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on the first day of continuing Winter Session when the House also saw the ruling party and Opposition party lawmakers lock horns over several issues, including Lt Governor Anil Baijal not being invited to address the House, execution of projects under the MLA LAD Scheme, pending land pooling policy and sanitation workers’ strike, among others.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been in Punjab to campaign in the run-up to the state polls, remained absent on the first day of the session.

LG not being invited is illegal: LoP

Under a calling attention motion, Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta termed the session “illegal” stating that as per rules, the session being the New Year’s first session should have begun with the Lt Governor's address.

Amid noise from the ruling benches, the BJP leader also expressed reservations over the government’s decision to hold single session in parts without any necessary reason.

On which Speaker Ram Niwas Goel rubbished his remarks warning him not to drag the Lt Governor’s post into controversy while ruling that this is not a fresh session rather a continuation of the fourth session of the Delhi Assembly which had not been deferred.

Committee recommends probe against SDMC chief 

The major part of the House proceedings was dominated by AAP dispensation’s attacks on the BJP over the functioning of MCDs and the resolutions passed by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) for “stalling” the developmental projects undertaken by the AAP MLAs by sitting on discretionary funds and not issuing “No Objection certificates” (NOC).

In this regard, a special report of the Delhi Assembly’s Question and Reference Committee was also adopted by the House in which the eight-member committee comprising all AAP MLAs has recommended that the government should immediately enquire into the conduct of SDMC Commissioner Puneet Goyal who has been charged with “indiscipline, dereliction of duty and causing deliberate delay” in execution of public works.

‘Govt sitting on Land Pooling Scheme’ 

The LoP accused the Kejriwal government of sitting on the Delhi Development Authority’s Land Pooling Scheme out of political vindictiveness and in course depriving farmers owning land in rural areas and poor people in need of affordable housing.

The proposal, he said has been pending since 2015 while calling Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain’s demand of 12 per cent share in land unjustified claiming that DDA has already earmarked 27 per cent for public facilities— something which was contrary to Jain’s assertion that the land agency has not cleared the AAP government’s demand on the same.

Gupta also demanded that the government should fill revenue gap in municipalities for a permanent solutions and not show token gestures in the eye of municipal corporations elections.