The Delhi Development Authority

Section 3 of the Delhi Development Act, 1957 deals with the Delhi Development Authority. As soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, the Central Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute for the purposes of this Act an authority to be called the Delhi Development Authority (hereinafter referred to as the Authority). The Act came into force on 30 Dec 1957.

(1) As soon as may be after the commencement of this Act, the Central Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute for the purposes of this Act an authority to be called the Delhi Development Authority (hereinafter referred to as the Authority).

(2) The Authority shall be a body corporate by the name aforesaid having perpetual succession and a common seal with power to acquire, hold and dispose of property, both movable and immovable and to contract and shall by the said name sue and be sued.

(3) The Authority shall consist of the following members, namely:--

(a) a chairman who shall be the ¹[Lieutenant Governor] of the ²[National Capital Territory of Delhi], ex officio;

(b) a vice-chairman to be appointed by the Central Government;

(c) a finance and accounts member to be appointed by the Central Government;

(d) an engineer member to be appointed by the Central Government;

(e) as and when the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is established, two representatives of that Corporation to be elected by the councillors and aldermen of the Corporation from among themselves;

³[(f) three representatives of the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi to be elected by means of a single transferable vote by the members of the Legislative Assembly from among themselves of which two shall be from among the ruling party and one from the party in opposition to the Government:

Provided that no member of the Council of Ministers for the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi shall be eligible to be elected to the Authority.

Explanation.--For the purposes of this clause, "ruling party" and "party in opposition to Government" shall mean the ruling party and the party in opposition to the Government recognised as such by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi;]

⁴[(g) three other persons to be nominated by the Central Government, of whom one shall be a person with experience of town planning or architecture; and]

(h) the Commisioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, ex officio.

⁵[(3A) The appointment of the vice-chairman may be either whole-time or part-time as the Central Government may think fit but the appointment of the finance and accounts member and the engineer member shall be whole-time.]

⁶[(4) The vice-chairman, if he is a whole-time member, the finance and accounts member and the engineer member shall be entitled to receive from the funds of the Authority such salaries and such allowances, if any, and governed by such conditions of service as may be determined by rules made in this behalf.

(5) The vice-chairman, if he is a part-time member, and other members specified in clause (e), clause (f) and clause (g) of sub-section (3) may be paid from the funds of the Authority such allowances, if any, as may be fixed by the Central Government in this behalf.]

(6) The vice-chairman, the finance and accounts member, the engineer member and the ⁷[three members] referred to in clause (g) of sub-section (3) shall hold office during the pleasure of the Central Government ⁸***.

⁹[(7) An elected member shall hold office for a term of five years from the date of his election to the Authority and shall be eligible for re-election:

Provided that such term shall come to an end as soon as the member ceases to be a member of the body from which he was elected.]

(9) A member other than an ex officio member may resign his office by writing under his hand addressed to the Central Government but shall continue in office until his resignation is accepted by that Government.

(10) No act or proceedings of the Authority shall be invalid by reason of the existence of any vacancy in, or defect in the constitution of, the Authority.

Section 3, The Delhi Development Act, 1957 (Act 61 of 1957).