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2. On behalf of the petitioner, the following contentions and submissions have been raised:

2.1 The impugned Notification has been issued by the Lieutenant Governor without any jurisdiction, power and authority. 2.2 In terms of Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957, the decision-making power vests in the Corporation of MCD, which shall exercise such power with previous approval of the Government of NCT of Delhi. 2.3 All past Notifications under Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957 have been issued by the Commissioner on behalf of the MCD. Mere plain reading of Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957 makes it clear that power to issue notification making any declaration or exemption under Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957 vests in the MCD.

17. Considering the aforesaid timelines as brought forth on behalf of the MCD, it is clear that the impugned Notification dated 16th May, 2017 under Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957 was published in accordance with law.

18. The actual act of taking a decision for urbanization of the villages in question was undertaken by the Corporation of the MCD in terms of its authority vested under Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957, as is manifest from the documents and pleadings placed on record. Approval to the said decision of the Corporation was duly granted by the Lieutenant Governor, after which the same was published by way of Gazette notification.

21. Therefore, when undoubtedly the decision has been taken by the Corporation in exercise of its authority in terms of Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957, the publication of the notification in the name of Lieutenant Governor does not make the notification bad in law, since the Lieutenant Governor is the Administrator of the MCD.

22. Besides, Section 44 of The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 ("GNCTD Act") provides that all executive actions of the GNCTD are to be taken in the name of the Lieutenant Governor. Thus, Section 44(2) of GNCTD Act reads as under:

23. The authority of the Corporation under Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957 is in no manner compromised or diminished by publication of the impugned Notification in the name of the Lieutenant Governor.

24. In terms of Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957 the decision-making power vests in the Municipal Corporation which shall exercise such power with the previous approval of the Government i.e. Government of NCT of Delhi. Section 2(21A) of the DMC Act, 1957 defines Government to mean the Government of NCT of Delhi. Plain reading of Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957 makes it clear that the power to declare any rural areas to be forming part of urban areas, vests in the Municipal Corporation. Therefore, the decision to declare any area as forming part of urban area is conferred on the Corporation. Indubitably, in the present case, the decision to declare the rural areas as part of the urban areas has been taken by the Corporation. Merely because the notification has been published in the name of the Lieutenant Governor, the same does not, in any manner, undermine or erode the authority of the Corporation under Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957. The authority of the Corporation under Section 507 of the DMC Act, 1957 cannot be interpreted in a manner to reduce the same to the ministerial act of publication in the name of the Corporation in the Gazette Notification. Therefore, this Court rejects the contention raised on behalf of the petitioner that the impugned Notification dated 16th May, 2017 issued by the Lieutenant Governor is without any jurisdiction, power and authority or that the same amounts to usurping the authority of the Corporation.