‘MCD trifurcation panel purely political’

In response to the Delhi government’s proposal to set up a committee for trifurcation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD),

In response to the Delhi government’s proposal to set up a committee for trifurcation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the civic body’s works committee chairman Jagdish Mamgain has asked Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit to notify the terms of reference of her ‘politically motivated’ committee constituted for restructuring of the civic body.

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“The committee formed is purely political and does not comprise experts from the fields of municipal governance, town planning or legal persons and the representatives of the MCD, which puts a question mark on its credibility,” said Mamgain.

At present, he said, the MCD functions in the light of Delhi Municipal Act (DMC), 1957, under which the establishment of the new corporation/corporations is to be notified in the official gazette by the Central government. “It is not clear that Dikshit wants two or more corporations or some zonal arrangements in the present structure of MCD. If the proposal is to form more corporations, then it needs more than one mayor and commissioner, which in turn, requires an amendment in the DMC Act, 1957, which can be done only by the Central government. As the powers to make laws in respect of services, and law and order were not granted to the Delhi government, it does not enjoy the powers to break the present MCD into smaller municipalities,” he added.

He said multiplicity of authorities is a matter of serious concern. “Instead of minimising them, Dikshit intends to increase the number by creating more corporations.”