MCD in chaos as parties struggle for supremacy

New Delhi

Torn papers of policy proposals adorned the dais at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) house of councillors meeting on Tuesday, as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) grappled over the legality of the session and the AAP’s manoeuvre to move two key proposals—advocating for large-scale property tax waivers and regularisation of thousands of contractual staff.

There was utter chaos as members rushed to snatch the microphones; as the AAP passed two private member resolutions through voice vote, the BJP hastened to raise slogans against the former.

Mayor Mahesh Kumar Khinchi (AAP) said: “We have passed proposal to regularise all contractual workers in MCD. Secondly, as per our promise to people, we have passed the proposal to waive entire house tax on properties up to 100 guz while it will be halved for 100-500 guz houses... BJP opposed these proposals and engaged in ruckus due to which house had to be adjourned. Our promises to employees and house tax relaxations have been fulfilled.”

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Raja Iqbal Singh termed the session “unethical and illegal”, citing the absence of municipal commissioner and opposition members. He alleged that the quorum of the house was not complete and the party has urged the commissioner to intervene and declare the house meeting illegal and void. “We have submitted a letter of protest to the commissioner regarding this matter,” Singh said, adding that the AAP lost its majority and challenging the mayor to prove the party’s majority.

Sources in the MCD, after the latest series of defections on February 15, estimate the BJP to have 116 councillors, AAP to have 114 and the Congress, 8. According to the DMC Act, the mayor can’t be removed till the completion of their tenure. To be sure, the mayor’s tenure ends in March and municipal body polls are scheduled for April.

To be sure, the proposals by the AAP to waive property taxes and regularise services of around 12,000 contractual staff—including gardeners, beldars, sanitation workers and junior engineers, among others—are private member resolutions and unlike policy preambles put forward by the executive wing, they are not mandatory to be implemented by the executive wing.

An MCD official, not wishing to be named, said that private member resolutions are like policy statements, which can be considered, rejected or ignored by the commissioner. “They are not legally binding. For a policy to be implemented, a proposals with concurrence of finance is formed, it goes through necessary committees and finally it is cleared by the house,” the official said.

The official said that another hurdle to pass the resolutions is that schedule of taxes for the next fiscal was already passed by the House on February 13, with no change in the tax structure.

On Tuesday, the proceedings started at 2.04pm with the mayor’s arrival; BJP councillors had not arrived, the commissioner’s chair was empty and few officers of the executive wing were present. In the absence of the commissioner, leader of the house Mukesh Goyal of the AAP took up proceedings, as former mayor Shelly Oberoi appealed to the municipal secretary to ensure the additional commissioner sits on the dais. At 2.08pm, the first BJP councillor, Veer Singh Panwar, entered the chamber and immediately rushed to snatch papers held by Goyal. Other BJP members followed suit, as councillor Rajpal Singh snatched the mikes placed in front of the mayor. Papers were torn and thrown in the air and a ruckus ensued, amid which Goyal shouted out “pass” multiple times, passing the resolutions.

Addressing a presser later, Goyal said the quorum—the DMC Act mandates the presence of 20% of members—was met as over 70 AAP councillors were present.