MCD special budget session adjourned by Mayor without discussion

The special meeting called by Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Tuesday to deliberate on the annual budget of the MCD was adjourned without discussion soon after it was convened.

NEW DELHI: The special meeting called by Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Tuesday to deliberate on the annual budget of the MCD was adjourned without discussion soon after it was convened. The meeting session to discuss revised estimates for 2022-23 and the budget for 2023-24 will resume on Wednesday at 2 pm. Oberoi said that a few councillors have been given time to go through the budget document before the discussion starts.

The Budget was presented by the Centre appointed special officer in December last year. The deadline to pass the Budget for the re-unified MCD is March 31. An official said that many important functions will get affected if the Budget is not passed by then.

“The most important part is clearance of allocation of funds to various departments,” the official added. However, the officials said that the absence of Standing Committee may affect many key elements of the Budget.

According to Section 109 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, rates of municipal taxes, and other levies were to be approved on or before February 15, and the rest of the budget had to be cleared before March 31.

The “schedule of taxes” in the civic budget for 2023-24 was cleared by the special officer on February 15. But the remaining process was stalled as the civic body’s Standing Committee is yet to be elected. The Standing Committee is the highest decision making executive body of MCD and manages the corporation with financial functions, approval to projects, discussing, finalising and implementing the policies for the city.

The election of 18 standing committee members was marred by violence and the matter reached the Delhi  High Court for judicial intervention. The court has set April 24 as the next date for hearing in the case. However, the MCD earlier said after clearing the schedule of taxes on February 15 that the taxes, rates and cesses to be levied in 2023-24 will remain the same as the current fiscal year.

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