New Delhi, Apr 16 (PTI) AAP councillors, led by Mayor Mahesh Kumar, staged a protest outside the MCD Commissioner’s office on Wednesday, demanding implementation of proposals to regularise 12,000 employees and grant house tax relief.

Councillors holding poster cutouts that read ‘House Tax, Property Tax Maaf Karo,’ marched to the MCD headquarters to meet Commissioner Ashwini Kumar, but he was not present.

“Despite being informed in advance that AAP councillors were coming to meet him, the Commissioner conveniently left his office before we arrived,” Kumar said in a statement.

He alleged that the Commissioner had left on the pretext of attending a National Green Tribunal event. The councillors then picketed his office.

Responding to the allegations, the MCD said in a statement, “The Commissioner was available in his office from 10.30 am to 12.45 pm. The Mayor did not turn up at the scheduled time of 11.15 am, which he had himself circulated to the media.” According to the civic body, the Commissioner left the office around 12.45 pm to attend a hearing at the NGT, as the tribunal had directed his appearance in a case related to the desiltation of drains.

It said that the Mayor was informed about the Commissioner’s engagement.

“After the Commissioner returned to the office, he conveyed to the Mayor that he was available to meet him as desired. However, the Mayor did not come,” it said in the statement.

Earlier, Kumar said that the MCD had passed two important resolutions — one for providing relief in house tax to Delhi’s residents and the other for regularising 12,000 contractual employees of the Corporation.

“These proposals have not been implemented till now. We had gone to meet the Commissioner to demand their immediate execution. But instead of facing us, he made an excuse and fled,” he said.

He also alleged that the Commissioner had unilaterally imposed additional user charges on Delhi’s residents without consulting him or passing any resolution in the House.

“The Aam Aadmi Party strongly opposes this unjust decision. We demand the immediate withdrawal of these user charges, which have been arbitrarily imposed without public consultation,” he said.

Kumar also claimed the charges were imposed at the BJP’s instructions. PTI NSM NSM VN VN