MCD – Central News Hub

MCD Takes Action Against Karol Bagh Engineers

An order issued by the office of the MCD Deputy Commissioner stated that disciplinary proceedings are being contemplated against Vishram Meena, Assistant Engineer posted in the Works Department, Karol Bagh Zone…reports Asian Lite News

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) initiated disciplinary proceedings against Assistant Engineer and Executive Engineer of Karol Bagh Zone on Monday amid student protests after basement flooding claimed three lives in a coaching institute in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar.

“Contract of Vinay Mittal, JE(M), posted in the office of Executive Engineer, Karol Bagh Zone is hereby terminated with immediate effect,” it further stated.Meanwhile, the Delhi police arrested seven persons so far, including the driver of an SUV vehicle, in connection with the case.DCP (Central) M Harshvardhan said, “Five more persons, including the owners of the basement and an individual who drove a vehicle that appears to have damaged the gate of the building, were arrested.”

“There was no permission to carry out commercial activity in the basement,” the DCP added. “Negligence has been established on the part of the arrested driver, who has been arrested in the Old Rajender Nagar case. He was driving the vehicle very fast, due to which the gate of the coaching centre broke. Before he hit the building gate, a street vendor had tried to stop him,” DCP Harshvardhan said.

According to the police, the flow of water towards the institute became faster after the vehicle passed by, flooding its premises.
“At the beginning of the video, the gate of the coaching institute was fine, but after the car passed, it broke and fell down. The accused driver has no connection with the coaching owner or the building owner,” DCP Harshvardhan said.

Shreya Yadav from Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana, and Nevin Dalwin from Kerala died after the basement of the building housing Rau’s Study Circle in Old Rajinder Nagar flooded due to rain.Medical Superintendent of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Dr Ajay Shukla, said, “Out of the total 17 students brought here, three students were brought dead. The remaining 14 students were discharged yesterday.”

The owner and coordinator of the coaching centre were also arrested in the case. The accused have been booked for culpable homicide, among other charges. The MCD sealed the basements of 13 coaching centres in Karol Bagh on Sunday for violating building by-laws amid protests by students. Mayor Shelly Oberoi has directed strict action against coaching centres operating illegally in basements. Earth movers were used to remove encroachment over drains in Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar following student protests. (ANI)

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Bill to unify Delhi MCDs cleared by Parliament

Responding to AAP member Sanjay Singh’s claim that the government brought this bill out of phobia..reports Asian Lite News

The Bill to reunify the three existing Municipal Corporations of Delhi into one, as earlier, got Parliament’s approval on Tuesday, with the Rajya Sabha’s assent to the legislation.

The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, passed by the Lok Sabha on March 31, unifies the civic bodies “with an aim to provide greater transparency, improved governance and more efficient delivery of civic service for the people of Delhi”.

Replying to the debate on this Bill, Home Minister Amit Shah rejected the Opposition’s claim that the Central government cannot bring this amendment and said that it was not against the federal structure as the National Capital Territory of Delhi is not a complete state.

He also said that he wanted to clarify that Delhi has a status different from a Union Territory and there are separate provisions under the Constitution.

Shah said the government had to bring this Bill because of the “step-motherly” treatment by the AAP government to the municipal corporations in Delhi and accused them of rejecting a number of proposals sent by the civic bodies in the past few years, which “severely affected” development.

“This Bill has been brought under the provision of Article 249 AA of the Constitution and if someone will go through it, all confusions will be cleared at once,” he said.

He also said that under the provisions of Section 249 AA(3B), the Parliament has the right to enact any law for the National Capital Territory Region and also has power under rule 249AA(3C) to negate or amend act passed by the Delhi Assembly.

Responding to AAP member Sanjay Singh’s claim that the government brought this bill out of phobia, he said that his BJP had won in Assembly elections in four states again where the AAP party forfeited their deposits in 349 seats in Uttar Pradesh and 68 seats in Uttarakhand.

He also said that the Fifth Finance Commission of Delhi had recommended giving Rs 40,541 crore to the three corporations, and the Delhi government agreed for Rs 21,000 crore but that too was not given, and as a result, all the three corporations have the liability of over 16,000 crore as of now.

Earlier, Sanjay Singh said that this Bill was not for the reunification of municipal corporations in Delhi but as “the BJP was scared of the AAP” while Trinamool Congress member Jawahar Sirkar said that a step like this would lead to delimitation, and that will take 18 months.

CPI-M’s John Brittas said: “If the government ruling the entire country rules over Delhi, it will neglect its duties as the national government and will do injustice to the people.”

BJD’s Prasanna Acharya, while supporting the Bill, said that the government should ensure that the municipal elections will not be deferred beyond six months.

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