India, July 31 -- The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) General House witnessed repeated disruptions on Thursday as councillors of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress staged separate protests over civic and administrative issues, forcing interruptions in the proceedings. The protest was initiated by Leader of the Opposition Ankush Narang and other AAP councillors, who entered the House carrying black placards and raising slogans against the BJP-led civic body. The placards called for an end to ethanol blending, accused the BJP of burdening the public with additional costs and alleged that E20 fuel had damaged vehicles. The councillors also alleged that the Centre's ethanol-blending policy had adversely affected vehicle owners. Congress councillors also held a demonstration inside the House, raising issues concerning contractual employees and civic workers. Their placards demanded the regularisation of contractual doctors and sanitation workers, alleged discrimination against contractual doctors, and accused the BJP-led MCD of failing to fulfil promises made to Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) employees even after eight months.
According to the Municipal Corporation, the protests disrupted a scheduled discussion on measures to prevent mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue, malaria and chikungunya, as well as water-borne diseases ahead of the monsoon. Mayor Pravesh Wahi criticised the opposition for stalling deliberations on what he described as critical public health issues. The Mayor said the civic body had planned to review preparedness and preventive measures against seasonal diseases but could not complete the discussion because of the disruptions. He also claimed that sustained anti-larval drives and public health campaigns had resulted in a decline in dengue cases compared with previous years. Despite the uproar, the General House approved several civic proposals, including the removal of two defunct garbage transfer stations and an unused public toilet in Janakpuri. The Mayor also said he had directed the MCD Commissioner to take action against illegal raw and cooked meat shops along Kanwar Yatra routes. The protests continued for a considerable period before the House resumed its business.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.