The Hindu       25.07.2014 

Union Home Ministry plans to reconstitute NDMC

The Union Home Ministry is learnt to have decided to reconstitute the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) midway as it will facilitate the replacement of four nominated Congress members in the 13-member body.

According to sources, while the file is learnt to have been approved by Union Minister Rajnath Singh, a notification to make the changes effective is likely to be issued within the next few days.

Currently, Ashok Ahuja, Tajdar Babbar, Suka Ram and I. A. Siddique are the Congress representatives in the Council, which provides civic amenities to the Lutyens’ Zone. With the decision likely to come into effect soon, sources said Thursday’s council meeting could well be the last with Congress nominees on the panel.

By virtue of being an MP from New Delhi, senior BJP leader Meenkashi Lekhi is already chairing the council meetings. Former Delhi Cantonment MLA Kanwar Singh Tanwar is likely to be one of the four BJP nominees to be appointed as council members.

If Mr. Tanwar is nominated to the council, a post which he held earlier for several years, he will be a council member alongside current Delhi Cantonment MLA Surinder Singh, who defeated him in the 2013 Delhi Assembly Elections and now occupies the room that was earlier with the former BJP legislator.

The council, which was established under the NDMC Act, comprises 13 members, including chairman Jalaj Srivastava, sitting MLA from New Delhi and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Mr. Singh, Ms. Lekhi and five other members who are officers with the Central and Delhi governments.

This apart, four members are to be nominated by the Central government in consultation with the Delhi Chief Minister. With Delhi being under the President’s Rule and the Lieutenant-Governor reporting to the Union Home Ministry, the decision lies with the Ministry to replace these four members.

The move will facilitate replacement of four nominated Congress members in the 13-member body