Reunification of MCD: Cabinet approves bill for merging of civic bodies in Delhi

In 2011, the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government proposed the trifurcation of the MCD and passed the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill

NEW DELHI: The Union cabinet on Tuesday approved a bill for the unification of Delhi’s three municipal corporations, a decision that is likely to intensify the tussle between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the national capital and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.

Members of the State Election Commission announcing the reunification of MCD on March 9. (PTI Photo)

The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 is likely to be tabled in the Parliament next week, people familiar with the development said, adding that it may also be passed during the ongoing budget session.

The decision comes 13 days after the State Election Commission (SEC), which was expected to declare the schedule for elections to the three civic bodies — the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation and the East Delhi Municipal Corporation, called off the announcement at the last minute citing a communication from the central government about its plans to merge the three.

AAP alleged that the BJP was going to lose the civic polls, hence the decision to postpone the elections citing unification of the bodies. The party even moved the Supreme Court last week claiming “flagrant meddling” of the Centre in the conduct of the municipal polls in Delhi using “brazen influence” over the SEC.

However, the BJP has argued that trifurcated MCDs faced multiple problems over the years, such as non-payment of salaries of safai karamcharis (sweepers), uneven distribution of property tax between three civic bodies, inefficient management and growing losses, etc.

In 2011, the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government proposed the trifurcation of the MCD for better efficiency. The ministry of home affairs then cleared the proposal in November 2011, following which the Delhi government convened a special assembly session and passed the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill in December 2011.

The final notification for the trifurcation was issued in January 2012, carving out North, South, and East Delhi municipal bodies with 104 wards given to the first two, and 64 to the latter.

MCD was the second-largest civic body in the world after the Tokyo Metropolitan Area when it was trifurcated by the then Congress establishment. It was headed by a commissioner, assisted by six additional commissioners, 22 directors and department heads, to oversee key functions such as education, engineering, sanitation, horticulture, among others.