NEW DELHI: The first meeting of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), held on Friday after a gap of nearly two and a half years, passed 25 crucial agendas and extended 10% rebate on property tax till July 31.
The passed items included revised layout plans for Shri Ram College of Commerce and St. Stephens College, layout plans for housing for Rajya Sabha Secretariat at RK Puram and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade at Maidan Garhi, revised layout for National Physical Laboratory Complex at Pusa, construction of school building at Wazirabad and 30 classrooms in a school in Lal Kuan Chungi, revised layout plan of staff quarters of Delhi University, layout plan of group housing at Hari Nagar Colony, etc.
Major items not taken up were the construction of an automated multilevel parking facility at Punjabi Bagh, the setting up of municipal solid waste to energy facility at Narela Bawana, the construction of 200-bedded ward block at Balak Ram Hospital, setting up of dung drying processing plant on turnkey basis at Ghazipur slaughterhouse, revised layout plan for Moolchand Khairati Ram Hospital in Lajpat Nagar, construction of sludge drain from Rajasthan Pahari on Shiv Mandir Road to Mehrauli Badarpur Road, etc.
All standing committee members participated in the discussions. The MCD’s preparations for the monsoon elicited suggestions from all members.
The ruling party members quoted the commissioner as saying that more work was done this year compared to last year, including the installation of new pumps. Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma stated that concerned officials have been directed to resolve all issues raised at the earliest.
War of words over media presence at House
The MCD’s first standing committee meeting witnessed a war of words between the ruling and opposition parties.
Criticising the BJP, Leader of Opposition Ankush Narang said for the first time in MCD’s history, the media was not allowed to attend the meeting. He questioned why the BJP “denied access to the media”.
BJP said journalists could not be accommodated due to space constraints.