NDMC councillors demand salary

The municipal councillors of North Corporation have demanded the Union government to sanction a monthly salary and other monetary benefits similar to those given to  members of Parliament and legislative assemblies.

Leader of House in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Mahender Nagpal has written to the Union home minister seeking Rs 30,000 per month for the municipal councillors towards salary and office maintenance.

Highlighting the plight of the councillors, Nagpal has also demanded an increase in the meeting allowance from Rs 300 to Rs 1,000 per meeting.

“While MPs get Rs 2 lakh as salary, office maintenance and tour allowance, MLAs get Rs 1  lakh for the same. But despite being elected representatives, the councillors are deprived of such benefits and they remain a neglected lot,” said Nagpal.  

Meeting with Shinde

A delegation of the North Corporation led by Mayor Meera Agarwal met Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde on Tuesday to press for their demands.

“Councilors are given Rs 300 for attending the House meetings. Since only three or four meetings of the House take place in a month, their allowance does not exceed Rs 1,200 per month. Further, the maximum limit of the meeting allowance is fixed at Rs 3,000 which is too meagre an amount for meeting expenses,” said Nagpal in the letter.

Leaders of the erstwhile MCD had also demanded a salary for their councillors on several occasions but the demand was not met.

Annual grant

Apart from personal monetary benefits, the delegation also demanded a grant of Rs 1,000 crore per year for the Corporation which is reeling under financial crunch. Presenting their case before Shinde, the BJP leaders said the Delhi government had paid the sum of Rs 790 crores as loan and having no grant has further burdened the Corporation.

“A sum of Rs 1,240 crores collected from house tax is due on the Delhi government. The same amount has not been transferred to the civic body after trifurcation of the erstwhile MCD. We have urged the home minister to ask the government to pay the money to North Corporation,” Nagpal said.