a day ago
Standing committee ready to work with two BJP councillors at helm
New Delhi: After a gap of two and a half years, the standing committee of
got its chairperson and deputy chairperson, with BJP's Satya Sharma and Sunder Singh being elected to the respective positions on Thursday.
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Following the elections, the formation of the standing committee was complete, which is expected to accelerate key development and administrative initiatives.
The 18-member committee is the key panel that controls the finances of the civic body. Any project above Rs 5 crore needs its approval. Due to the absence of the committee, many policy matters and projects related to sanitation got stuck.
Sharma, a councillor from Gautampuri in northeast Delhi, also served as the mayor in the erstwhile East Delhi Municipal Corporation.
Sharma, a three-time councillor, polled 11 votes while AAP-nominated Praveen Kumar received seven votes. Deputy mayor candidate Singh also received 11 votes against seven votes by AAP's Mohini Jeenwal. BJP has a clear majority in the standing committee with 11 members.
One of the projects that was delayed due to the non-formation of the committee was a redevelopment plan for Hari Nagar depots I and II, which function as CNG bus depots accommodating 230 buses.
A multilevel structure has been proposed that would increase bus parking capacity to 384 vehicles while creating 2 lakh square feet of commercial space on upper floors for sale.
Several development projects over Rs 5 crore are also waiting for a nod, including finalising an agency for door-to-door garbage collection in the central and west zones, opening a dog park, engaging a new toll tax operator, and Shahjahanabad Interpretation Centre.
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The work for finalising the layout plan for projects belonging to various agencies is also pending.
The standing committee, comprising elected councillors, possesses substantial financial and administrative authority. It has six members directly chosen from the MCD house while the remaining 12 members represent the 12 municipal zones. It serves as the initial platform for examining administrative, monetary and operational matters. The committee holds the crucial role of preliminary examination and endorsement of proposals.
Any proposal rejected at this stage does not advance to the house. The measure ensures that the house, under the mayor's leadership, can only deliberate on matters that have received prior recommendation from the standing committee.
