The Hindu : New Delhi News : Govt., MCD again lock horns

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Govt., MCD again lock horns

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 15. The Congress-ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the State Government are once again at loggerheads, and this time over the issue of handing over of streetlights to private power distribution companies.

At a meeting of MCD House today, the Congress as well as the BJP Councillors alleged that the Sheila Dikshit Government was encroaching on the rights and duties of the Corporation besides charging the Chief Secretary, S. Regunathan, with misleading the Lieutenant-Governor, B.L. Joshi, on the issue. The House also rejected the proposal of handing over streetlights to the private companies.

Raising the issue, the BJP Councillor, Vijender Gupta, alleged that the Delhi Government was interfering in the functioning of the duly elected civic body and this was against the democratic principles and an insult to Delhi's electorate. He also charged the Delhi Government with working against the interests of the Corporation as it was adamant on causing financial losses to the civic body.

The BJP Councillor said that while discussing the issue of streetlights with the private power distribution companies, the Delhi Government failed to clarify the civic body's share in revenue. Ironically, of the three-lakh streetlights in the Capital, around 2.87 lakhs belonged to the Corporation.

And blatantly ignoring this fact, the Delhi Government failed to even seek clearance from the Corporation and did not mention its monetary share in the deal, he alleged.

Supporting Mr. Gupta, the Leader of the House, Satbir Singh, expressed his dismay over the Chief Secretary's reply to the Lieutenant-Governor that he had sought clearance from the Corporation over the issue.

Criticising Mr. Regunathan of lying blatantly to a Constitutional authority, Mr. Singh asked the Delhi Government not to demean an elected body.

Welcoming Mr. Joshi stand in asking the Delhi Government to get the necessary clearance from the Corporation on the issue, the MCD's Standing Committee Chairman, Mukesh Goel, said under no circumstances was the civic body ready to handover maintenance of streetlights to private firms.

He said the proposal was in gross violation of the provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act.

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