NEW DELHI: The Union cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill proposing to reunify the three municipal corporations of Delhi. The Bill is likely to be tabled in the ongoing session of Parliament, sources in the ruling BJP said. 'The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022' provides for a unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) by merging the three corporations --- North, South and East.
"The preamble of the bill was approved by the Union cabinet after which it will be introduced in Parliament. It may take two-three days to examine the proposed bill and then pass it unanimousl, after which the process of merger will start, which may also involve re-classification of the municipal wards," said a senior party functionary.
The MCD was trifurcated in 2012 by the then Congress government led by Sheila Dikshit through an amendment in the Delhi Municipal Corporation Amendment Act, 1911.
"The trifurcation of the corporation was uneven in terms of the territorial divisions and revenue generating potential of each corporation. As a result, there was a huge gap in the resources available to the three corporations, vis-a-vis their obligations," the bill document reads.
"The gap has widened over a period of time, increasing the financial difficulties of the three municipal corporations, leaving them incapacitated to make timely payment of salaries and retirement benefits to their employees and thereby creating serious impediments in maintaining civic services in Delhi," it adds.
Reacting to the development, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said it is simply a ploy to delay the pending elections to the corporations. "It is clear that the unification is just a tactic. It could have simply been done six months ahead or after the elections. It is being done at this time mainly because the BJP is high on anti-incumbency and knows that it is set to lose the elections," said Bharadwaj.
The State Election Commission is likely to take a call on civic polls in the second week of April.