New Delhi: The MP from New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency will have voting right in the NDMC governing council as a Bill to this effect was passed by Parliament on Thursday.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (Amendment) Bill, 2011, which has already been passed by Lok Sabha on December 7, was approved by Rajya Sabha today by a voice vote. Earlier, the MP from New Delhi area was called to the NDMC meeting as a special invitee. Now the MP will have a voting right.
Representation of the SC has been increased to two from one member.
But, the number of MLAs as members of the council will be reduced from three to two. The bill, seeks to amend the NDMC Act (1994).
The total number of members will be increased to 13 from 11 at present. Replying to the debate, Minister for Shipping G K Vasan said the Amendment to the law governing NDMC "has been necessitated because of delimitation of assembly constituencies in Delhi". As per the business agenda of the Rajya Sabha, the Bill was to be moved by Home Minister P Chidambaram, but it was piloted by Vasan.
NDMC is entrusted with the responsibility of looking after the Luyten`s Delhi in the national capital.
According to the amendment bill, a Chief Minister, if representing the NDMC area, will chair the meetings of the council. Alternatively, an MP of the area, if he or she is a minister, will chair the meetings. If the MP representing the area is not a minister, then the MLA, if holding a ministerial position, will chair. Earlier, Syed Azeez Pasha (CPI), Shadi Lal Batra (Cong), Narendra Kumar Kashyap (BSP) and Avinash Rai Khanna (BJP) participated in the debate.
PTI