NEW DELHI: If all goes well, the city will get its first Mayor of the unified MCD by the end of January.
The civic body has proposed January 30 to be fixed as the date to reconvene the meeting, which was adjourned last week due to the unprecedented ruckus between councillors – that ensued in the House of the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi), officials in the know of the development said.
The sources also said that all the formalities to recall the first meeting of the MCD House have been completed. The Municipal Commissioner has acknowledged the date proposed by the secretary and has sent it to the Delhi state government. However, it is the Lieutenant Governor who has to take the final call on the proposal.
Call for security pushes date
When asked about the gap in calling the new meeting, officials cited unavailability of ample security as the reason. “Municipal officers and the protem speaker (presiding officer) are very concerned after the ruckus and the violence that happened during the first meeting. They have demanded additional security from the Delhi Police.
However, cops are deployed for Republic Day and the police expressed an inability to manage the security before January 26. That’s why the date has been pushed post-Republic Day,” an official said.
The maiden meeting of the House, called on January 6 to elect the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, was adjourned after councillors and MLAs from AAP and BJP came to blows with each other on the issue of oath-taking by aldermen first.
Ball in L-G’s court
Meanwhile, suspense over the reappointment of the presiding officer continues. Officials said that since the new presiding officer Satya Sharma was able to take oath before the ruckus, the L-G may not appoint a new presiding officer.
However, it’s still in the L-G’s purview since the former is one of the aldermen whose appointment by the L-G had invited a political uproar from the AAP.