Chaos in MCD House as AAP councillors don mosquito nets

Chaos erupted in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House on Friday after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors staged a dramatic protest against the rising cases of dengue, malaria and chikungunya in the Capital.

As soon as Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh arrived, AAP councillors donned mosquito nets on their heads and raised slogans demanding immediate action to curb vector-borne diseases. “Today we wore mosquito nets to the House because malaria, chikungunya and dengue cases are increasing rapidly. There is no strategy or campaign to combat the vector-borne diseases,” said Leader of Opposition Ankush Narang, citing official figures of 333 malaria cases this year, the highest in five years.

Despite repeated disruptions, the House went on to discuss civic issues ranging from public health to sanitation. Mayor Singh said preventive measures had been intensified, including stockpiling medicines, spraying, fogging and strict field inspections. “The MCD is committed to safeguarding public health. Negligence will not be tolerated,” he said.

The Mayor said during a five-and-a-half-hour general body meeting of the civic body, councillors unanimously approved a resolution introduced by Leader of the House Pravesh Wahi, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for GST rate reductions, which, they said, would benefit small traders and middle-class families. The Mayor described the move as “a historic decision that strengthens the spirit of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas.”

Another major decision was the extension of the Suniyo Scheme till December 31, 2025. The scheme waives all interest and penalties on property tax dues before FY 2020–21 if taxpayers clear the principal dues up to FY 2024-25 along with the current year.

The House also approved several proposals, including a ban on spa centres in residential areas, restricting them to commercial markets, paving of roads in Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar (Phase-II) to curb dust pollution and bio-mining of legacy waste at Ghazipur, Bhalswa, and Okhla dumpsites.