RWAs say MCD's user fee lacks legal clarity, transparency; AAP stages stir
In a letter to the MCD Commissioner, RWAs pointed out that the civic body has not specified under which head the collected user fees would be utilised. They also cited the Solid Waste Management Act, which they argue prohibits clubbing user fee with the property tax.
'We have formally notified the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) of significant legal and transparency concerns surrounding its newly implemented user fee for solid waste management. Our letter cites non-compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957,' said United Residents Joint Action (URJA) Force. URJA also argued that the 'user fee' lacks clear legal grounding.
In the letter, the association demanded the MCD to specify the exact legal provisions within the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, that authorize this charge.
The letter also pointed out operational shortcomings and questioned the preparedness for fee implementation, the lack of communication with waste generators, and the absence of a proper grievance redressal system.
'About 13 lakh out of 43 lakh households in Delhi pay property tax. Besides, some residents already pay private waste collectors. We question the fairness of charging only property taxpayers for a service used by all,' the letter read.
Meanwhile, the AAP councillors held a sit-in outside Delhi Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh's office on protesting the omission of a proposal to roll back user charges from the House agenda. Following the Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls last month, when the BJP came to power and appointed its mayor, the party on April 25 promised to roll back the user charge.
'Since the beginning, the BJP has had no intention of working for the people of Delhi. All they do is make false promises and avoid real work. We had submitted a proposal to remove the user charges but the BJP is deliberately avoiding it,' said Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the MCD Ankush Narang.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
29 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘If you're Indian, buy made-in-India products only': PM Modi to citizens ahead of festive season
With India's trade negotiations with the US going through a tumultuous period amid global turmoil, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday called for buying products made in India in the upcoming festive season. He was speaking at the inauguration of two national highway projects in the national capital: the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II. 'I request all citizens to trust products made in India. If you're Indian, buy made-in-India products only…I want to say one thing to shopkeepers and businessmen also: there was a time when you used to sell products made elsewhere, maybe because you made more profit there. But now you also have to support my initiative of 'vocal for local',' he said. Modi also accused the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress of degrading Delhi's condition as well as of drafting draconian laws. 'For the longest time, we were not even close to power in Delhi. Previous governments have destroyed Delhi during their tenures. They had pushed Delhi into a ditch. It is very difficult to pull Delhi out of problems that have accumulated over the years. But I am confident that the BJP team you have chosen in Delhi will solve these,' he said. 'Earlier governments used to consider Swachhta Mitras their slaves. These people who dance keeping the Constitution on their head, they used to trample on it and betray the beliefs of Babasaheb,' he said. The prime minister also said he had removed a provision of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act under which a Swachhta Mitra can be imprisoned for a month if they don't come to work for one day without informing the authorities.
Hans India
29 minutes ago
- Hans India
Telangana's share in surplus water should be decided first, says Dy CM Vikramarka
Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Sunday said that it would be legal and fair to build any new project on the Godavari River after the share of both Telugu states in surplus waters is decided. He said that the responsibility of determining water shares lies with the Centre. The Deputy Chief Minister, who is visiting Visakhapatnam to participate in various programmes, was talking to media persons. The Congress leader mentioned that Telangana state was formed precisely for the sake of river waters. 'Clarity on the issue of surplus waters will come only after the ongoing projects in our state are completed and water allocations are made,' he said. The Telangana Deputy CM was responding to questions about the Godavari-Banakacherla project proposed to be built by Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on August 15 defended the Godavari-Banakacherla project, saying this will not harm the water interests of any state. Referring to Telangana's opposition to the project, he said that no one needs to worry. 'We have decided to divert Godavari waste water from Polavaram to Banakacherla to transform Rayalaseema into an agrarian region. We will use the water that would otherwise be wasted by flowing into the sea,' he said in his speech on Independence Day. CM Chandrababu Naidu said that as a lower-riparian state, Andhra Pradesh has to bear floods. 'When floods occur, if the upstream states release water, we, as the downstream state, bear the losses and difficulties. Why are there objections to using the same floodwater as the downstream state? We have to bear the flood, but how can we cope if we do not benefit from the flood water?' he asked. Meanwhile, Telangana Deputy Chief Minister also participated in a protest organised by the Congress party in Andhra Pradesh over 'vote chori'. Dy CM Vikramarka said that the deletion of voters is tantamount to trampling on civil rights. The Constitution has given voting rights to every citizen of the country. He alleged that the BJP has benefited by deleting genuine voters and by including bogus voters in the list. He said Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has exposed vote theft before the entire country with evidence and questioned the Modi government. Vikramarka said that despite this, the attempt by the Election Commission to act in favour of the BJP is dangerous for democracy. He claimed that Rahul Gandhi's yatra is receiving full support from political parties and people.
Hans India
29 minutes ago
- Hans India
FairPoint: Rahul Gandhi's atom bomb or damp squib? Bihar will decide
When Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi decided to skip the early morning Independence Day celebrations at the iconic Red Fort, he knew he would face criticism. Yet, he chose to stay away -- perhaps to make a statement. This decision seems part of his newfound 'weapon' of 'vote chori (vote theft)' to target the democratically elected NDA government at the Centre. He and his supporters have been indirectly suggesting that it was due to vote chori that the NDA secured a third term; otherwise, he would have been in the top seat. Wishful thinking knows no bounds, but the Congress-led Opposition has now adopted this 'idea' to shape its campaign in Bihar, before rolling it out nationally. Rahul Gandhi, along with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, has unveiled a plan to bring down the Nitish-led NDA government in the state using this narrative. Gandhi -- who served as Congress president from December 2017 to July 2019, a period when the party recorded its worst-ever performance -- now sees an opportunity in the vote chori allegations. At his August 7 press conference in Delhi, Gandhi targeted only PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, while also attacking the Election Commission of India (ECI). He claimed: "...And let's not forget that the Prime Minister is the Prime Minister of India with a very slender majority -- 25 seats. 33,000 votes were the winning margin…" His sole purpose appeared to be discrediting the Modi government's election win. He accused the ECI of colluding with the BJP and "helping the BJP destroy the election system in India." But if elections can indeed be manipulated, as Gandhi suggests, why could the BJP not secure an absolute majority on its own, rather than depending on Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Chandrababu Naidu's TDP? There is no denying that anomalies exist in voter rolls, which must be cleaned up and corrected. The ECI must strengthen its systems quickly and effectively. On August 14, a group of seven people from Bihar met Gandhi at his Delhi residence, claiming they had been declared "dead" by the Election Commission. Their names, they said, had been removed from the draft electoral rolls published on August 1, as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Whether true or not, the ECI will have to investigate. The SIR case is already in the Supreme Court, where the ECI has agreed to share the names of voters deleted in Bihar. Such an exercise could help settle many allegations. Rahul Gandhi is not entirely wrong in pointing out problems with voter lists. Errors do exist. However, suggesting that the ECI manipulates election outcomes is an accusation that stretches credibility. Nevertheless, Gandhi insists that wins and losses are manipulated, claiming to have an "atom bomb" of proof that will dislodge the government and give him the "rightful" mandate to be Prime Minister. Bihar will be the testing ground for his vote chori narrative. His Vote Adhikar Yatra aims to highlight alleged assaults on people's voting rights through the SIR process. The yatra will cover 20 districts, concluding with a rally in Patna on September 1, with breaks on August 20, 25, and 31. Rahul Gandhi appears determined to make this a prestige issue. If he manages to generate enough momentum in Bihar, the campaign could be replicated in other states to build a larger movement against the Centre and discredit the NDA's win. His decision to skip the Red Fort event may well be seen as the first step in that direction. Unsurprisingly, the BJP pounced on the issue. Party leader Amit Malviya remarked that at the Congress HQ event, Gandhi appeared "visibly disoriented", adding, "The nation deserves to know -- is he well?" His absence from the Independence Day event has also drawn criticism, especially after the Supreme Court reprimanded him earlier, stating, "If you are a true Indian, you wouldn't say such a thing," in response to his comments about Chinese encroachment during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Now, Gandhi's vote chori allegations face their litmus test in Bihar. The people will decide the truth. But the bigger question remains: what if he loses again -- or what if he wins? Either way, the Bihar elections will be decisive.
