First EDMC meeting in tent a ‘mark of protest’

Despite an air-conditioned auditorium with a state- of-the-art sound system and sitting facility, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) will be holding its first meeting in a makeshift tent on Thursday.

Despite an air-conditioned auditorium with a state- of-the-art sound system and sitting facility, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) will be holding its first meeting in a makeshift tent on Thursday.

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The mayor — Annapurna Mishra — and councillors of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party feel that the auditorium, in its Udyog Bhawan Headquarters in Patparganj industrial area-with a seating capacity of more than 300 people, is not good enough to hold house meetings as it lacks basic infrastructure such as tables and mikes.

However, the EDMC commissioner, who’s responsible for making all necessary arrangements, said that the date and venue of the meeting was finalised after the mayor gave the necessary approval to the municipal secretary.

“The mayor approved it. The house has all facilities to hold meeting and gradually, we are improving our facilities,” said SS Yadav, commissioner, EDMC.

However, amid the drama, a tent was erected in the compound of Udyog Bhawan where the house meeting of 64 EDMC councillors would be held.

The mayor feels the meeting in the tent would highlight the step motherly treatment that the Delhi government has given to the EDMC.

“We are still working without chairs, computers, Internet, fax machines, printers and phone lines. Even the mayor room doesn’t look like the room of the head of deliberative wing. I am still waiting for an official accommodation,” Mishra said.