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MCD chief faces corporators' ire

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI MAY 15. The Municipal Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta, once again had to face the wrath of corporators, both of the ruling Congress and the BJP, today over his issuance of letter regarding house tax collection seeking cooperation from residents welfare associations (RWAs) under the Delhi Government's "Bhagidari'' programme.

Targeting Mr. Mehta at the MCD's Standing Committee meeting, its Deputy Chairman, Ashok Jain, said the issue of house tax collection was a policy matter so the Commissioner should not have made a statement in the public before tabling the proposal before the high-powered Standing Committee for its approval.

The BJP corporator, Vijender Gupta, alleged that the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, was trying to run the MCD through remote control called the new Commissioner and implementing her plans in the name of "Bhagidari''. Terming the new orders as disrespect of the MCD House, Mr. Gupta said this anarchy would not be tolerated and demanded immediate withdrawal of the order.

Criticising Mr. Mehta for his indifferent behaviour towards the Standing Committee and the corporators, another Congress corporator, Atma Ram Gupta, said the Commissioner should not have issued the order before consulting the Standing Committee which takes decision on policy matters.

The Standing Committee Chairman, Ram Babu Sharma, said the MCD was a separate body so the Delhi Government should not interfere in its functioning. Denouncing the allegations leveled by the BJP corporators that the Corporation was being run by remote control, Mr. Sharma said as the Delhi Government was giving money to the MCD so its proposals could be considered by the MCD.

Replying to the queries of the corporators, the Municipal Commissioner said through his order he wanted to end inspector raj in the Corporation and bring transparency in the entire house tax collection mechanism. The collection of house tax by RWAs would end problems being faced by residents besides bridging the gap between people and the civic body thus ensuring more and more public participation in local governance, he added.

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