Ministry:
Home Affairs
- The New Delhi Municipal Council (Amendment) Bill, 2010 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 3, 2010 to amend the New Delhi Municipal Council Act, 1994 (Principal Act).
- The Principal Act established the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The Bill seeks to make certain changes to the composition of the Council. The number of members of the Legislative Assembly shall be reduced from three to two. After delimitation, only two constituencies fall within the NDMC area. It also seeks to add the Member of Parliament representing the New Delhi area in the Lok Sabha in the Council with voting rights. Under the Principal Act, he was a special invitee to the Council without voting rights.
- The Bill increases the number of members to be nominated by the central government in consultation with the Chief Minister of Delhi from two to four in the Council. These members are chosen among lawyers, doctors, engineers, chartered accountants, artists, media persons etc.
- Out of the 13 members, at least three shall be women and two shall belong to the Scheduled Castes (one of whom shall be from the nominated members).
- The Bill also proposes to revise the procedure for presiding over the meetings of the Council. The Principal Act states that a meeting shall be presided over by the Chairperson or Vice Chairperson (appointed from among officers of the central government) or by such other members to be decided by the council in case both are absent. The Bill gives the order of preference in which a member shall act as the presiding officer in case both the Chairperson and the Vice Chairperson are absent.
- The order of preference is: (a) the Chief Minister of Delhi; (b) a Member of Parliament who is a Minister representing the New Delhi Area; (c) or a member of the Legislative Assembly who is a minister in the government of the National Capital Territory representing the New Delhi area; and (d) Member of Parliament who is not a Minister but represents the New Delhi area.
- In case all the four options are absent, the Council shall choose a member from among those present to preside over the meeting.
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