The Pioneer 01.11.2010
Slammed repeatedly, MCD gets serious about pending suitsParvaiz Sultan | New Delhi
Alleging irregularities in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) Law Department, the deliberative wing of the agency sought a detailed report on the number of cases pending in various courts and tribunals.
Cutting across party lines, members of the Standing Committee on Wednesday said that due to lackadaisical approach of the MCD lawyers, not only the MCD is losing several cases in the courts, but has also been slammed on various occasions by the courts.
Chairman of the Standing Committee Yogender Chandolia told the Municipal Commissioner to place a detailed report on cases pending in the various courts during the next meeting, scheduled for November 10.
“The Commissioner has been told to submit a report on the cases pending in courts along with the names of the lawyers handling them. The report will be submitted within 15 days,” said Chandolia.
The Leader of the Opposition and member of Standing Committee, Jai Kishan Sharma on Wednesday raised the issue in the meeting. He alleged that despite having lawyers for various court and tribunals, the MCD has suffered drubbing in courts on many occasions. “It is an irony, regardless of a team of senior advocates and law officers, on whom MCD spends Rs 1.25 crore every month, the body is slammed by the courts and faces insult. Be it a matter of sealing, de-sealing, unauthorised construction or policy of mobile towers or cyclerickshaw, the MCD has been insulted,” said Sharma.
According to him, apart from Chief Law Officer (CLO), five Deputy Law Officer (DLO), 25 Assistant Law Officer (ALO) and 14 Junior Law Officer, MCD has 25 lawyers for High Court, 27 for Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and 71 for districts courts.
Other members of the panel further expressed their astonishment over non-availability of proper records of courts cases. They said when record was sought from the department they said that the department does not have the information. BJP councillor Rajni Abbi and Deputy Chairman Sarita Chaudhary said that in the absence of such records, how monitoring of courts cases is possible? They also demanded that instead of spending huge amount on lawyers, the cases related to property tax and advertisement dues disputes should be settled by organising Lok Adalats. According to an estimate, the MCD has been fighting hundreds of cases of property tax and advertisements worth over Rs 610 crore for years.
“If we have to seek legal opinion from advocates, the department should be dissolved and we should outsource the services. In the name of court, the department has been functioning as corporate. It has been turned into another IPL,” said a Congress councillor. They also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Vigilance department probe into the alleged irregularities.
