SC defers hearing on Mayor’s plea to transfer of Standing Committee’s powers to MCD

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned hearing on a plea by Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi seeking a direction to allow the functions of the Standing Committee be exercised by the MCD till the panel is constituted.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra deferred the hearing by two weeks on the plea of the mayor against the office of the Lt Governor after senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the AAP leader, said the judgment on an earlier separate petition was reserved in May last year.

‘Then, we will stand this over for two weeks. Let us see what happens,’ Chief Justice Chandrachud said.

On May 17, 2023, a bench headed by Chief Justice Chandrachud reserved the verdict on a separate petition filed by the Delhi government, challenging the Lt Governor’s power to nominate aldermen. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has 250 elected and 10 nominated members.

The Delhi government had alleged that the Lt Governor nominated 10 members without its aid and advice.

The Delhi mayor, in the fresh plea, does not want the nominated aldermen to be part of the electoral college for MCD standing committees.

The mayor sought a direction to allow the Standing Committee’s functions to be exercised by the MCD till the panel is constituted.

In the brief hearing, Singhvi said the Standing Committee performs all vital functions and deals with issues, including midday meals scheme, needing a budget of Rs 5 crore and above.

He said the Standing Committee has not been set up and one of the reasons could be that the top court has reserved its verdict on the earlier plea.

The subsequent plea was filed in the top court after the mayor, during a special session of the MCD, proposed vesting the powers of the Standing Committee in the House.