MCD meet ends in chaos

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, JUNE 28. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi session was adjourned amid chaos and pandemonium without a debate on the urgent issue of huge shortage of primary schools teachers and deteriorating condition of city drains.

Showing total insensitivity to such issues, both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress(I) today created chaos over an issue that could have been sorted out amicably at the zonal level.

As soon as the House assembled, the Congress(I) members

stood up and started demanding that action be taken against officials who have been responsible for removal of what they claimed as slum clusters in Sultanpuri from a private land.

Refuting the allegations, the Municipal Commissioner, Mr. S. P. Aggarwal, said this was a roadside encroachment and came in the way of widening of the road. Not satisfied with the reply, the Congress(I) members created a scene, and this was opposed by the BJP Councillors.

``I cannot let the House run, unless the matter is sorted out and the displaced people rehabilitated,'' said Mr. Tarsen Bansal. ``No slum was removed, only 456 illegal khokas and 78 shops were removed,'' shot back Ms. Bhavana Gaur of the BJP, who is chairperson of the Najafgarh Zone. Nothing was audible after this.

Neither the Leader of the House, Mr. Mahesh Chandra Sharma, nor the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Ram Babu Sharma, tried seriously to restore order and hold discussions on important issues like shortage of teachers in primary schools and water- logging.

``None of the councillors were serious about these issues. It is the ego which matters to them most. This shows how insensitive they are to the people's needs,'' said a senior Councillor.

``We could have allowed the House to resume business, had the Mayor accepted the demand for an inquiry. In fact he was not in favour of a debate on the issue as this would have exposed their inefficiency,'' Mr. Ram Babu told reporters.

``I am ready to hold an inquiry even though what they allege is not correct. But they never demanded it. They were bent upon not allowing the House to discuss these issues as this would have exposed the Congress(I)-run Government,'' alleged Mr. Desai.

Many Councillors remarked that it was all pre-planned and none of them wanted a discussion. ``This would have exposed both parties -- the BJP-dominated MCD and the Congress led Delhi Government,'' said a Congress(I) Councillor. ``This was a local issue that could have been discussed at the Zonal Committee level which meets every Friday,'' he said.

``The House is a forum to deliberate on issues concerning the entire Capital. This assumes more significance when we consider that it meets only once a month and so many important issues are to be discussed,'' he added. And as usual in such cases, all the agenda items were passed in a hurry without debate or discussion.

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