NEW DELHI: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) could face a constitutional crisis if the retirement process for nine of the 18 standing committee members is not completed by March 31. In such a scenario, the LG can intervene under Section 487 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act.The exercise is required to initiate re-election of 50% of the members, including the new standing committee chairperson.Although the standing committee met on Monday, the vacation process through a draw of lots could not be carried out owing to chaos in the House. Several AAP councillors questioned why the minutes of previous meetings had not been tabled and formally approved. They also raised concerns over the granting of Rs 650 crore for extension of the biomining contract till Sept to existing agencies at the three landfills, alleging the proposal was not tabled in the meeting. Questions were also raised about some proposals discussed earlier whose status wasn’t updated in the official minutes.As AAP councillors gathered in the well of the House with placards accusing BJP-led MCD of corruption and clearing projects without opposition consent, standing committee chairperson Satya Sharma adjourned the meeting. Later, after discussions with other committee members, she issued an order convening the next meeting on March 31 – a public holiday — to consider Item No. 52, which pertains to the vacation of 50% of members through a draw of lots.The standing committee was constituted nearly two years after the MCD elections held in Dec 2022, with the matter reaching the Supreme Court. The delay stalled several key proposals, including those related to biomining at the city’s landfills and garbage collection. As per DMC Act, the standing committee operates for one year from the date of elections but 50% of its members retire by the end of the financial year. As of now, there are 11 BJP and seven AAP members in the 18-member standing committee.Meanwhile, the decision to convene the next meeting on short notice drew sharp criticism from AAP councillors. “As per norms, at least 72 hours’ prior notice is required to convene a meeting, unless the next date is announced during the session. Under these circumstances, the meeting can be legally challenged. We have not yet received the updated circular, and a decision on participation will be taken after consulting party leadership,” said AAP councillor and MCD co-in-charge Parveen Kumar.He accused BJP of functioning in an autocratic manner. “We strongly opposed the proposal to award a 10-year contract for replacing and maintaining lakhs of streetlights in MCD areas, as technology evolves rapidly and such long-term contracts may lead to financial losses. The proposal was brought again in Monday’s meeting. Moreover, what is the point of holding meetings when the minutes of the last four meetings have neither been approved nor shared with AAP councillors? Changes are being made arbitrarily later,” Kumar alleged.Responding to the charges, Sharma said minutes of the last two meetings are yet to be approved and directions have been issued to the municipal secretary’s office to expedite the process.“We are functioning as per norms and passing proposals through majority consensus. Unfortunately, the conduct of AAP councillors is not new. Even when in power, they failed to ensure smooth functioning of MCD. To prevent escalation and avoid any untoward incident, we decided to adjourn the meeting. But all precautions would be taken to hold the committee process smoothly. We will not let AAP’s behaviour hamper public interest work,” she said.
