Cabinet nod to three-way MCD split
Decks have been cleared for the three-way division of the MCD as the Delhi Cabinet on Monday gave nod to the proposal, giving due consideration to the dissenting voices in the party against increasing the number of wards and the consequent shrinking sphere of influence of its councillors. The city government will now move a
legislative proposal in the Monsoon session of the state Assembly to give effect to the trifurcation.
The Cabinet approved the proposal after getting the go-ahead from Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Chief minister Sheila Dikshit had called on Mrs Gandhi last Thursday to seek support for the split plan.
Making a strategic compromise, the Cabinet decided to keep the number of municipal wards untouched at 272 to accommodate the dissenting view. However, it decided that 50 per cent of the wards would be reserved for women.
Three new municipal authorities would come up for east, south and north Delhi areas, with the west being part of the south unit. The north and south civic bodies will have 104 wards each, while 64 wards will constitute the east unit.
The north and south Delhi units will cover 26 Assembly constituencies each while 16 Assembly segments will fall under the east Delhi municipality.
However, the decision puts a question mark on the 2012 MCD elections, which in all likelihood will be now held after the creation of the new civic bodies.
In a bid to expedite the trifurcation, the Cabinet constituted a four-member committee comprising finance secretary D.M. Spolia, principal secretary to chief minister, M.M. Kutty, law secretary S.P. Garg and urban development secretary R.K. Srivastava. The committee has been asked to draft an amendment to the Delhi Municipal Act 1957 in three to four days’ time.
The legislative proposal will be referred to the Union home ministry for its approval after which it would be moved in the Delhi Assembly.
Ms Dikshit said that the proposed set up would bring marked improvement in the functioning of the municipal body. “This is a step forward in the direction of efficient and responsive municipal administration,” she said.
However, the BJP criticised the split plan and said that the government’s move is politically motivated.
“They have decided to split the MCD to get mileage in the municipal polls next year. We strongly oppose the move,” said Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta.
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