The Hindu : New Delhi News : NDMC board reconstitution awaited

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Monday, Jan 05, 2009
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New Delhi

NDMC board reconstitution awaited

Manisha Jha

NEW DELHI: Post Delhi Assembly elections 2008, the New Delhi Municipal Council is still awaiting a notification by the Union Home Ministry for swearing in of two newly elected Council members — Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who won from New Delhi, and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Karan Singh Tanwar, who bagged the Delhi Cantonment seat.

In addition, nomination of a new vice-chairperson for the civic body is also expected after former Congress MLA and NDMC vice-chairperson Tajdar Babbar was denied the Congress ticket to contest the Assembly elections.

Commenting on the situation, NDMC member Sima Gulati said: “The new members cannot be sworn in until an official notification is sent by the Union Home Ministry. As of now, the composite notification is still awaited.”

“Nomination of the new NDMC vice-chairperson is also awaited from the Union Government. The nomination is, however, likely to materialise sooner,” she added.

One member short

Also, following the delimitation process prior to the Assembly polls, three seats falling in the NDMC area — Minto Road, formerly represented by Tajdar Babar, Gole Market, represented by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, and Sarojini Nagar represented by former Congress MLA Ashok Ahuja got effectively reduced to two seats namely New Delhi and Delhi Cantonment leaving the 11 member Council short of one member. At present, the 10-member Council comprises two MLAs instead of three, two nominated members and six official members.

Ms. Gulati said: “A solution to this problem is likely to take more time as for this an amendment has to be made to the NDMC Act itself for which Parliament assent is needed.

To maintain the balance, either one political seat will have to be reduced along with a one official seat or else the number of nominated member seats will have to be increased,” she added.

According to another Council member Mukesh Bhatt, this decision was likely to be taken only after the general elections this year.

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