MCD slams Red Fort attack; AAP stages protest over rising AQI

The House passed several policy proposals, including setting up of four fresh waste processing plants and replacement of 4.5 lakh street lights, covering half of the area under the civic body.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in its house of councillors meeting on Thursday condemned the Red Fort terror attack and passed a condolence resolution for the blast victims. Shortly after observing a two minute silence for the victims, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members rushed to the well of the house, raising slogans against the government’s failure to tackle poor air quality.

AAP councillors protest over rising AQI during MCD Session at the Civic Centre in New Delhi on Thursday. (Vipin Kumar/HT photo)

Amid the uproar and sloganeering, the House passed several critical policy proposals, including setting up of four fresh waste processing plants at the cost of ₹341 crore to tackle 5,100 tonnes of garbage daily and replacement of 4.5 lakh street lights, covering half of the area under the civic body.

The meeting started at around 11.50 am with all parties expressing condemnation for the bomb blast near Red Fort. Introducing the resolution, leader of house Parwesh Wahi said that a terrorist attack in the form of a blast took place near Red Fort metro station which has caused immense grief to Delhi. “This unfortunate event has left all of us speechless. The House prays for peace and expresses support to the victims,” he added.

At 12.05pm, AAP members raised slogans “abki baar, AQI 400 paar” and protested in the House chamber.

Leader of opposition Ankush Narang said that despite BJP having the so-called ‘four-engine’ government, Delhiites were forced to breathe the toxic air. Delhi has recorded three consecutive days of severe air quality. Amid uproar, the councillors were provided an opportunity to raise issues where Congress members alleged that the BJP government was manipulating the AQI data and water sprinkling was being carried out near the pollution monitoring station.

Seven policies were passed without discussion. Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh said that several significant decisions were taken up even as some AAP councillors tried to disrupt the proceedings.

He added that the corporation has passed a proposal to regularise all daily-wage sanitation workers who were appointed on compassionate grounds between April 1, 2010 and 31 March 2015. “We have also approved a proposal to set up four new solid waste processing plants with a total capacity of 5,100 metric tons per day, at an estimated cost of ₹361.42 crores. Plants are expected to become operational within approximately six months, after which no new waste will be dumped at landfill sites,” he added.

MCD also passed a resolution for providing ₹109.97 crore as subsidy to MCD primary students for buying uniforms, bags and stationery.

MCD also passed the policy to replace the 2,32,362 streetlights across the six of the 12 zones covering Civil Lines, City SP, Karol Bagh, Keshavpuram, Rohini and Narela zone at the cost of over ₹916 crore. A senior MCD official said that the work only starts from next year after the conclusion of MCD by polls as the Model Code of Conduct is in place.

Meanwhile, leader of opposition (LoP) Ankush Narang said, “When AAP demanded a discussion in the House on this serious issue, BJP mayor Raja Iqbal Singh chose to escape public questioning by adjourning the session and running away.”