Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the bill to merge the three municipal corporations of Delhi into a single entity was brought as the Delhi government under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was giving “step-motherly treatment” to the three civic bodies. “The three municipal corporations in Delhi are not functioning properly due to the step-motherly behaviour of the AAP party," Shah said introducing the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, in the Rajya Sabha for consideration and passage.
Parliament has passed the Bill with Rajya Sabha approving it through a voice vote.
The AAP has alleged the intention behind the Bill to delay the civic body polls as the BJP fears losing the elections. Attacking the opposition over the charge, Shah said they have “no fear of losing” or “arrogance of victory”.
The Union cabinet had, last month, approved the bill for the unification of three municipal corporations in the national capital.
Noting that Parliament has the competence to frame laws for Delhi, Shah said the Bill is in no way an attack on the federal structure. The home minister stressed the need to merge the three municipal corporations into a single, integrated and well-equipped entity to ensure a robust mechanism for synergised and strategic planning and optimal utilisation of resources.
Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had earlier said the AAP will “quit politics” if civic body elections were not held on time and the Bharatiya Janata Party won the polls. "If the BJP postpones elections due to fear of losing power in minuscule MCD, then it amounts to muzzle people's voices. I challenge the BJP to conduct the MCD polls on time. We (AAP) will quit politics if the MCD polls are held timely and the BJP wins the elections," Kejriwal had said while speaking to media persons outside the Delhi Assembly.
{{/usCountry}}Delhi chief minister and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal had earlier said the AAP will “quit politics” if civic body elections were not held on time and the Bharatiya Janata Party won the polls. "If the BJP postpones elections due to fear of losing power in minuscule MCD, then it amounts to muzzle people's voices. I challenge the BJP to conduct the MCD polls on time. We (AAP) will quit politics if the MCD polls are held timely and the BJP wins the elections," Kejriwal had said while speaking to media persons outside the Delhi Assembly.
{{/usCountry}}The Bill aims to merge three municipal corporations of Delhi into a single entity by seeking an amendment to the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957. The Act was amended in 2011 by Delhi Legislative Assembly to trifurcate the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi into North, South, and East Delhi Municipal Corporation. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha on March 30.
(With agency inputs)