Privilige proceedings in Delhi assembly against IAS officer

New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS) The Delhi Assembly on Monday initiated privilege proceedings against South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Deputy Commissioner Nidhi Srivastava, an IAS officer, and SDMC Horticulture Deputy Director R.K. Singh.

The action came as the house adopted a report of the Petition Committee, headed by ruling Aam Aadmi Party lawmaker Saurabh Bhardwaj, pointing out irregularities on the part of three senior SDMC officials regarding management of a park in Greater Kailash in south Delhi.

The committee was formed on a petition filed by Rajan Chadha, chairman of Residents Welfare Society of E-Block in November 2018, alleging the public private partnership of the park managed by the society was cancelled by the civic body's Horticulture Department and the park was handed over to a social organisation.

The report, tabled on Friday, was adopted on Monday with amendments.

On Monday, the Assembly had received a communication from the SDMC that they have initiated action against three erring officials, Bhardwaj said.

The SDMC also agreed to give back the park to elected RWA, he said in the House.

The Assembly directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to impart punishment and submit action taken report to the Assembly in one month.

It directed to initiate privilege Proceedings against Srivastava and Singh, Bhardwaj added.

He said the report was about the "high-handedness of the SDMC to arbitrarily take away some of the best maintained parks in South Delhi from elected RWAs and giving them to suspicious societies of political workers".