Sheila to get split MCD approval tomorrow

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit will have the home ministry approval to her plans to trifurcate the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on her table soon, possibly by Friday. Aloke Tikku reports.

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit will have the home ministry approval to her plans to trifurcate the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on her table soon, possibly by Friday.

The law ministry cleared the proposal to split the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) into three corporations on Thursday and communicated its approval to the home ministry.

Government sources said the formal approval from home minister P Chidambaram was expected to come in by Friday.

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The Delhi government needs presidential approval to initiate amendments to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, a central legislation enacted in 1956.

The home ministry had last week referred the legislative proposal for legal vetting after making corrections to the state government’s draft.

Dikshit is keen to pass the law and trifurcate the corporation ahead of elections to the local bodies in April next year.

Government sources said the home ministry had delegated some more powers wielded by the Centre to the state government such as powers relating to building bye-laws.

“There were issues for which the corporation had to take clearance from the central government under the existing law enacted when Delhi was a union territory,” a government official said.

Delhi is still legally a union territory but with a legislative assembly. The Centre has, however, retained its say in important matters such as the appointment of the municipal commissioners in view of Delhi’s unique status.