Monkeys enter MCD headquarters, draw ire of Congress leader

Leader of Congress in NDMC Mukesh Goel alleged negligence in security.

Two monkeys strayed into the swanky, multi-storeyed headquarters building of the civic bodies on Monday, triggering panic and chaos for a while among the staff and security personnel.

Representative image (AP)

The 28-storey complex, built about a decade ago and spread over several blocks — Civic Centre — houses the headquarters of BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).

Leader of Congress in NDMC Mukesh Goel alleged negligence in security and held the authorities of the corporation responsible for the incident. He also demanded that an inquiry be made into it.

“Security personnel are deputed at every nook and corner of the Civic Centre and despite that two monkeys were able to get inside ‘A’ block, which shows negligence of duty on their part. Every year, crores of rupees are spent on security by the corporation (NDMC) and despite that this incident took place,” Goel said.

The monkeys had entered the second floor of ‘A’ Block, which also houses the office of Goel.

Several offices and business establishments are also located in the towering building complex.

“The monkeys scampered around the corridors for about 30 minutes as guards ran after them,” Goel said.

He also questioned the functioning of the veterinary department of the corporation in controlling the population of stray dogs and animals in their jurisdiction.

A senior NDMC official when contacted, however, tried to downplay the incident, saying, “the monkeys may have entered as it was raining. They were shooed away as soon as possible”.

Goel also brought to notice an old incident when a former deputy mayor of the then unified corporation had died after being attacked by a monkey.

“The incident did not take place at the Civic Centre, but at his home when a monkey had attacked him and in the process he slipped off his balcony and suffered a fall that proved fatal,” the civic official said.

“If civic authorities can’t keep the headquarters free from stray monkeys and dogs, how will they ensure the same in other areas,” Goel asked.

The unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was trifurcated in 2012 into NDMC, SDMC and EDMC. The headquarters of the East Corporation is in Patparganj.