Mayor slams move to cut councillors’ local area funds

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Monday said that no outside authority or agency was empowered to reduce municipal councillors’ local area developmental fund.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Monday said that no outside authority or agency was empowered to reduce municipal councillors’ local area developmental fund.

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Reacting to a story published in Hindustan Times on Monday that said councillor funds would be reduced to Rs 50 lakh from Rs 2 crore, Delhi Mayor Kanwar Sain said: "The move of the government amounts to interfering in the financial autonomy of the civic body."

"No permission from the government is required for increasing the allocation of funds under DMC Act, 1957. It is MCD's discretion how to spend its funds," Sain said.

The mayor said no authority of the government could decide or prioritize the amount to be spent on any head, not to say councillor local area development funds.

The Mayor further said that MCD has been constituted by an act of Parliament and enjoys full autonomy including the financial freedom to decide its own priorities.

"The development funds were earmarked with a view to ensure adequate and equitable distribution of financial resources throughout the city," Sain added.

“It appears that the Delhi government does not want fair and equitable distribution of resources. It is interfering in the working of the MCD,” he said.