Amid opposition, govt says the process is over

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrote to the Union home ministry to stall the trifurcation process of the civic body for the time being, Delhi government claimed the process has been completed.

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wrote to the Union home ministry to stall the trifurcation process of the civic body for the time being, Delhi government claimed the process has been completed.

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Delhi government officials said it has set aside Rs.1,831 crore to offset the liabilities on Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). They said the government did not want any of the municipalities to start functioning in debt. The amount includes Rs.600 crore that the corporation has to pay several contractors involved in Commonwealth Games projects.

"The proposal to pay up Rs.1,800-odd crore from the Delhi government's exchequer would be taken up by the Cabinet this Monday," a Delhi government officer said.

The director of local bodies, RK Srivastava, said the process for division of financial resources, staff and properties of the MCD into three parts has been completed as per established administrative practices.

Delhi BJP president Vijender Gupta on Friday had written to the home minister to defer the trifurcation process saying the administrative exercise to split the agency was yet not complete.

Srivastava said the proposal to appoint commissioners for each of the three corporations and fixing dates of holding the first meetings of the north, east and south Delhi corporations has already been sent to Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna.

The BJP expressed its unhappiness over finalisation of the names of commissioners of the three new corporations by the Delhi government without consulting them.