Stalled model code sets off scramble among Delhi councillors to wrap projects up

A senior official from the municipal secretariat said civic bodies can’t take new policy decisions or inaugurate new projects once election dates are announced.

The delay in the announcement of Delhi’s municipal elections has brought with it a deferred model code of conduct (MCC), handing councillors an extended window to inaugurate completed projects, with the Capital likely to see a flurry of inaugurations and foundation stone-laying projects within the coming month.

A senior official from the State Election Commission (SEC) said it will need at least 29 days to make the poll announcement before the corporations’ five-year terms expire. (HT Archive)

A senior official from the municipal secretariat said civic bodies can’t take new policy decisions or inaugurate new projects once election dates are announced.

“Committee meetings can be held during when the MCC is in place, but no policy decision can be taken,” the official said.

The corporations cannot approve any new projects, policy changes or amendments once MCC comes into effect. Committee meetings can, however, be held during this time.

Meanwhile, a senior official from the State Election Commission (SEC) said it will need at least 29 days to make the poll announcement before the corporations’ five-year terms expire.

“We have around 60 days to go before the councillors’ terms expire. The current state can be extended for another month without entering a legal grey area,” the official added.

Shyam Sunder Aggarwal, mayor of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), said regular committee sittings and policy work will continue.

“We plan to complete work on developing our Karkardooma zonal headquarters this month. The project to make East Delhi free of dhalaos will also be finished, as 37 garbage compactors have been installed. We plan to deploy mobile compactors at the remaining spots,” Aggarwal said.

He also said a large number of road-naming projects were also cleared during a meeting on Wednesday.

“We do not have funds for more development work, so there are no major infrastructure projects pending, but various naming ceremonies will be held in the coming months,” he added.

Local bodies cannot name or rename public utilities when MCC is in effect.

The South civic body is also likely to inaugurate new programmes and projects in the coming month, even as it hands its field staff new uniforms.

Inderjeet Sehrawat, leader of the SDMC House, said, “Tenders to issue two sets of uniforms to our 22,000 field workers have been issued, and these will increase the civic body’s visibility. We have also issued tenders to issue 3,000 bicycles to children in municipal schools.”

A senior South Delhi corporation official said projects likely to see the light of day before poll dates are announced include distributing irons and sewing machines to women from lower-income groups, parks being developed by filling ravines in Tajpur Pahari near Jaitpur-Mithapur (which will be Delhi’s largest municipal park) and the third Nandan Van.

Nandan Vans are mini-amusement parks meant to cater to children aged younger than 10. Two such parks have been opened, in Greater Kailash-1 and New Friends Colony.

Sehrawat said the corporation will also open four centralised mid-day meal kitchens in a month.

The North Delhi civic body, meanwhile, has announced that President Ram Nath Kovind will inaugurate a new Heritage Park near Jama Masjid-Red Fort this Sunday.

Former North Delhi mayor Jai Prakash said work on the Kishanganj underpass is nearly complete and it should be able open for public access by the first week of April.

An SEC official said preparations for the elections are complete and the commission was waiting for a legal response on the letter received from the Union ministry of home affairs regarding the potential reunification.

The SDMC’s term will expire on May 18, the North MCD’s term will lapse on May 19, and the EDMC’s will end May 22.

“Technically, we still have 60-61 days to conduct elections. Even if the elections are announced on April 17 or 18, we will be able to meet the requirement of a one month to hold elections,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

He, however, added that a lot will also depend on the Centre’s amendments, if any, to the DMC Act.