No more benefits for NDMC elected member

The move was taken after the NDMC received a letter from the Ministry of Home Affairs,urging them to reconsider the amenities provided to the elected members of the civic body.

Following the decision taken on Friday evening,Tanwar has been stripped off his allowances — office space,residential accommodation,a car with chauffeur and monthly refreshment allowances.

Sources said the MLA has vacated the accommodation and is planning to move his office in Delhi Cantt.

Before the new rule,all members,elected and non-elected,had equal rights to amenities. When the new proposal was floated,it suggested allowances be stopped to all 11 members.

In the Friday meeting,however,the other members said they do not fall under ‘office of profit’ as they are not elected. Hence,only Tanwar lost his benefits.

The other elected member in NDMC is Sheila Dikshit but since she is also the chief minister of Delhi,she does not take any perks from the civic body and does not interfere in its workings either,officials said.

The move has also sparked off a debate in the NDMC — the members believe it will now be difficult for the public to meet them as their offices will be spread out instead of being under one roof,at the Palika Kendra opposite Jantar Mantar.

The ‘office of profit’ controversy came into focus after the NDMC was left short of a member in the last Assembly elections. The Home Ministry had asked the civic body to make amendments in its law so that a Member of Parliament,whose constituency partially or wholly includes the NDMC area,may be made a member so that the vacancy is filled without problems of ‘office of profit’.

At present,Ajay Maken is the MP of New Delhi and is a special invitee to NDMC with no powers to vote.