The Hindu 25.07.2014
Union Home Ministry plans to reconstitute NDMC
The Union Home Ministry is learnt to have decided to
reconstitute the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) midway as it will
facilitate the replacement of four nominated Congress members in the
13-member body.
According to sources, while the file
is learnt to have been approved by Union Minister Rajnath Singh, a
notification to make the changes effective is likely to be issued within
the next few days.
Currently, Ashok Ahuja, Tajdar
Babbar, Suka Ram and I. A. Siddique are the Congress representatives in
the Council, which provides civic amenities to the Lutyens’ Zone. With
the decision likely to come into effect soon, sources said Thursday’s
council meeting could well be the last with Congress nominees on the
panel.
By virtue of being an MP from New Delhi,
senior BJP leader Meenkashi Lekhi is already chairing the council
meetings. Former Delhi Cantonment MLA Kanwar Singh Tanwar is likely to
be one of the four BJP nominees to be appointed as council members.
If
Mr. Tanwar is nominated to the council, a post which he held earlier
for several years, he will be a council member alongside current Delhi
Cantonment MLA Surinder Singh, who defeated him in the 2013 Delhi
Assembly Elections and now occupies the room that was earlier with the
former BJP legislator.
The council, which was
established under the NDMC Act, comprises 13 members, including chairman
Jalaj Srivastava, sitting MLA from New Delhi and former Chief Minister
Arvind Kejriwal, Mr. Singh, Ms. Lekhi and five other members who are
officers with the Central and Delhi governments.
This
apart, four members are to be nominated by the Central government in
consultation with the Delhi Chief Minister. With Delhi being under the
President’s Rule and the Lieutenant-Governor reporting to the Union Home
Ministry, the decision lies with the Ministry to replace these four
members.
The move will facilitate replacement of four nominated Congress members in the 13-member body
