New Delhi, February 5
The Supreme Court on Monday deferred hearing on Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi’s petition seeking a direction to allow the powers of the Standing Committee to be exercised by the MCD till the panel was constituted.
A Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud adjourned the hearing by two weeks after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, submitted on behalf of the Mayor that the judgment on an earlier petition was reserved in May last year.
“Then, we will stand this over for two weeks. Let us see what happens,” the CJI said.
On May 17, 2023, a Bench headed by CJI Chandrachud had reserved the verdict on a separate petition filed by the Delhi government, challenging the Lt Governor's power to nominate aldermen.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has 250 elected and 10 nominated members.
The Delhi Government alleged that the L-G nominated 10 members without its aid and advice. The Delhi mayor does not want the nominated aldermen to be part of the Electoral College for MCD standing committees and she has sought a direction to allow the Standing Committee's functions to be exercised by the MCD till the panel is constituted.
On Monday, Singhvi said the Standing Committee performs all vital functions and deals with issues, including midday meals scheme, needing a budget of Rs 5 crore and above.
The Standing Committee has not been set up and one of the reasons could be that the top court has reserved its verdict on the earlier plea, he added.
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