Delhi mayor seeks early ruling on aldermen

Mayor Oberoi urges Supreme Court to deliver verdict on aldermen nominations for MCD. Standing committee formation crucial for pending projects.

Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to deliver the verdict on nominated members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) — called aldermen — so that the civic body’s standing committee, that controls the MCD’s purse strings, can be constituted and work on major pending projects can start.

Delhi mayor Shelly Oberoi (HT Photo)

Oberoi made the remarks at a press conference after a meeting of the house of councillors.

“We are urging the Supreme Court that the pending decision on the aldermen should be announced so that we can form the standing committee and execute the pending projects of MCD. We hope that the court will deliver a verdict in the coming days,” Oberoi said.

“We also want that the standing committee should be formed at the earliest... We do not want people of Delhi to suffer, and we have tried to work on the projects up to financial implication of ₹5 crore which come under the commissioner’s powers,” she added.

The Supreme Court on May 17, 2023 reserved judgment on plea asking whether the lieutenant governor (LG) of Delhi has the authority to nominate aldermen to the MCD without the aid and advice of the Delhi government.

The question of aldermen is crucial to constitute the standing committee — six out of 18 members of the powerful panel are elected in direct elections by the house, and 12 members are elected by members of the Wards Committees each from one administrative zone. The Wards Committees, in turn, include aldermen who have voting powers, and hence impact the outcome of the formation of the standing committee.

The BJP’s stated position is that powers of one important municipal authority cannot be usurped by the other authority. Leader of the opposition and former mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said, “AAP should hold the elections for the standing committee as the Supreme Court has not issued any stay on the matter. The election needs elected councilors, nominated aldermen and legal clearance--all of which are in place.”