MCD Mayor Shelly Oberoi.
| Photo Credit: File Photo
Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Monday said that the annual Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) budget will not be passed before March 22, when the Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear a plea regarding the HouseтАЩs internal elections. The deadline to pass the civic bodyтАЩs annual budget, comprising the estimated income and expenditure, is March 31.
On February 24, a fistfight broke out in the MCD House between BJP and AAP councillors after the Mayor declared a vote cast in the six-member Standing Committee polls invalid. Ms. Oberoi adjourned the House and called for fresh elections. A day later, the High Court stayed the MayorтАЩs order after two petitioners, including BJP councillor Shikha Rai, appealed against it.
тАЬWe have to call for a new House meeting to pass the budget. But this is not possible since the first meeting of the House is still ongoing,тАЭ said a senior MCD official. As per procedure, the first House meeting is concluded after all councillors are administered the oath and elections for the posts of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Standing Committee members are conducted. However, even three months after the civic polls, the MCD internal polls are yet to be completed.
In December last year, MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti had presented the budget estimates for 2023-24, with the estimated expenditure standing at тВ╣16,023 crore. The Centre-appointed special officer had passed the civic bodyтАЩs schedule of taxes on February 15.
Ms. Oberoi said that the councillors have started fixing roads in their wards by utilising funds under the CMтАЩs road development scheme. She also said during her inspections she found schools where principals and guards were not present. тАЬThe schools lack the wherewithal to provide security to our children,тАЭ she said.
