Dirty Delhi: AAP govt issues 178 orders to three civic bodies
Pulling up the city’s civic agencies over poor cleanliness, district magistrates have issued 178 conditional orders seeking explanation from the three bodies and also warned them of legal action on the issue.
The move is expected to get a political hue and will again bring to light the ongoing tussle between the BJP and the AAP government.
The move comes days before the Delhi government is scheduled to convene a two- day special session of the Assembly, starting June 9, to discuss the working of the three municipal corporations, regarding sanitation.
According to the Delhi government, conditional orders have been issued to officials of the three MCDs under Section 133 of CrPC which empowers DM, SDM, and executive magistrate to issue such orders on the basis of complaints or otherwise for removal of nuisance from any public place that may be injurious to the health or physical comfort of the public.
A senior government official claimed this provision in criminal law also makes it clear that in case the district magistrate is satisfied to invoke this section for the health safety of the general public, then it cannot be challenged even in the courts.
“Following directions of the home & PWD minister Satyendar Jain, the district magistrates have so far issued 178 conditional orders under Section 133 of the CrPC to the concerned officials of the three MCDs for unsatisfactory cleanliness and hygienic conditions in areas under their jurisdiction, particularly the dhalaos,” said a senior government official.
The northwest district has issued 32 conditional orders to the officials of the area’s municipal corporation for unsatisfactory cleanliness and 26 orders were issued by the north district.
Besides, east and northeast districts have issued 32 and 15 such orders respectively, on the same issue. Only 15 and 14 conditional orders have been issued by the south and southwest districts.
“With these orders, it is clear that the concerned officials of the three MCDs will have to provide reasonable explanations for the lack of satisfactory cleanliness and hygienic conditions in their areas of respective jurisdictions, failing which further legal action will be initiated,” the official said, adding that lack of cleanliness and hygiene issues around dhalaos will not be tolerated.
Three days ago, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had accused the BJP- controlled civic bodies of turning the city into a “garbage bin.” The AAP is gearing up for elections to the three civic bodies — East Delhi Municipal Corporation, North Delhi Municipal Corporation and South Delhi Municipal Corporation — to be held next year.