MCD sub-committees delaying crucial decisions

The provision of constitution of sub-committees by the Standing Committee, the most powerful deliberative wing of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, seems to have become a tool in the hands of the ruling establishment to delay crucial decisions in the civic body.

Further, these sub-committees have become a monopoly of certain Councillors, favourites of the leadership. Of the 12 existing sub-committees, 11 are headed by the Leader of the House, Satbir Singh, and the Standing Committee Deputy Chairman, Ashok Jain.

Mr. Singh is the convenor of the sub-committees on Cremation Grounds, House Tax of Educational and Medical Institutions, Outsourcing Sanitation in Unauthorised Colonies, Building Regulations in Rural Areas and Sulabh International.

On the other hand, Mr. Jain is head of five sub-committees: Tehbazari, Second Finance Commission, Unauthorised Constructions, Review and Amendment of the Various Acts, Rules, Regulations and Procedure, and Reduction in Size of Meat Shops. The Badarpur Councillor, Hem Chand Goyal, is the convenor of the sub-committee on Commercial Use Of Farmhouses.

Inquiries revealed that these sub-committees normally hold one meeting that too for less than an hour wherein the report on the issue, having long-term implications on the MCD and the people of the Capital is prepared. For instance the sub-committee meeting on Outsourcing In Unauthorised Colonies and Sulabh International was over in less than 45 minutes today afternoon.

Only a few favourites get an opportunity to become a member of the sub-committees and those who either raise an issue or speak on the topic are not nominated as members, while those who rarely speak or play second fiddle to the leadership manage to sneak in. For instance, while the issue of handing all toilet community complexes to Sulabh was raised by the aggressive Congress Councillor, Sanjay Puri, and his senior party colleagues, Ajit Singh, their names were missing from the list. Vijender Kumar Gupta, in the capacity of being the only Opposition member in the Standing Committee is nominated in most of the sub-committees. At present he is member of 10 of the 12 committees. “Mr. Singh, Mr. Gupta and Mr. Jain are the common members in most of the sub-committees. Of the rest, it is only the rubber stamps who can get through,” said a disgruntled Councillor.