The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to merge the three municipal corporations, run by the BJP, in the national capital. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill on March 30.
With this, the three civic bodies in the capital have been unified today. The bill seeks to unify the three municipal corporations of Delhi into a single, integrated and well-equipped entity. It also proposes appointing a special officer, who would be designated to oversee its function till the first meeting of the body is held under the reunification law.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who piloted the bill in the Upper House, accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of meting out “stepmotherly treatment” to the three municipal corporations in Delhi. The three municipal corporations control around 1,400 sq km of the city and their smooth functioning is necessary for the citizens of Delhi and the country.
Shah said the trifurcation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was done in a hurry in 2012, which led to an imbalance. “I searched the reason for which the municipal body (MCD) was divided but no reason was available in any file,” he said, adding, “The objective was probably known only to the people who had brought it.”
Shah’s speech was interrupted by several opposition parties, including the AAP. However, the home minister said all members have the right to criticise and he would reply to all of them. CPI(M) member John Brittas has moved a proposal to refer the bill to a select committee of Rajya Sabha.
Initiating the debate on the bill, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the move is “constitutionally suspect, legally untenable, administratively blunderous and politically hypocritical”. “This bill is about control and more control by a control freak ‘sarkar’ (government). It has nothing to do with the plight of Delhi and its hapless citizens. This is a dangerous politics of delaying (polls) through delimitation, which is going to lead to disorder, disorganisation and disaster,” he said.
The objective
The objective of the bill is to reduce the financial stress on the three municipalities and give better services to Delhi residents. “Trifurcation of the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi was uneven in terms of territorial divisions and revenue-generating potential. As a result, there was a huge gap in the resources available to the three corporations compared to their obligations,” the bill stated.
The bill also proposes to ensure “a robust mechanism for synergised and strategic planning and optimal utilisation of resources and greater transparency, improved governance and more efficient delivery of civic services for the people of Delhi”.
MCD’s history
Delhi has five local bodies – North, East and South Delhi municipal corporations, the Delhi Cantonment Board and the New Delhi Municipal Council. The majority of Delhi’s area is covered by the North, South and East Delhi corporations.
These three corporations were known as a single entity as Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) before 2012. The then Sheila Dixit government had decided in 2012 to trifurcate the MCD. The move was opposed by the RWAs, saying it had led to unequal distribution of funds and mismanagement as there was no accountability.
The seat break-up
The total number of seats in the unified MCD will be capped at 250, with reserved seats for scheduled caste (SC) and scheduled tribe (ST). At present, the three corporations in Delhi — North, South and East Delhi Municipal Corporations — have a total of 272 seats. While North and South corporations have 104 seats each, the East corporation has 64.
Fresh elections could be held after redrawing of the municipal constituencies. Also, a process of delimitation could delay the elections further.
(With PTI inputs)
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