Trifurcated Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD) will go back to being one from May 22 onwards, as per the latest notification by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022, was legislated and passed by Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on March 30 and April 5, and president Kovind assented to the bill on April 18. According to the State Election Commission, the civic polls' date had to be out by March 8, but it was postponed due to the unification of the MCD bill.
The Act will reduce the wards in Delhi from 272 to 250, implying a heavy delimitation exercise, and aims to increase revenue and lift MCD's financial burden, according to the Mint.
Delhi's Municipal Corporation: Region-Wise Division
When MCD was created, it was one of the largest municipal corporations globally, giving 11 million people services daily in the national capital. Three bodies - MCD, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment Board, controlled the daily civic needs of the public.
The then Chief Minister (CM) of Delhi, Sheila Dikshit, changed this traditional organisation in 2011 by introducing a division in MCD. A high-level committee set up by the Parliament recommended having at least five municipal corporations and increasing the number of wards in Delhi from 272 to 408.
The Parliament changed it into three regions - South, North, and East; West was taken into the South's milieu. Reservation for women was increased to 50% from 33%. The move was justified to improve efficiency, as reported by the Economic Times in 2011.
How Will New MCD Impact People?
According to the Standing Committee Chairperson of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), BK. Oberoi, one of the most important consequences of the MCD Amendment Act is job loss and uncertainty.
He said, "After amalgamating the three municipalities, nearly 700 employees will become surplus as the staff strength is likely to be curtailed by one-third in each department. It will be a challenge for the new administration in the unified MCD to adjust these surplus employees," as cited in DNA India.
Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh April commented when both houses passed the bill, saying that change its name to 'Kejriwal Phobia'. He alleged that it was aimed to avoid civic polls and lose them, as reported by India Today. In contrast, BJP has continuously won MCD elections for the past four terms.
Rajesh Lalwani, an entrepreneur wrote on Twitter, "It is no secret that both BJP and AAP have played power games at the cost of basic facilities being denied to citizens of the capital. Politics aside, the merger is good for MCD & for Delhi. Timing is questionable, though."
From today's @htTweets piece around MCD merger. It is no secret that both BJP and AAP have played power games at the cost of basic facilities being denied to citizens of the Capital. Politics aside, the merger is good for MCD & for Delhi. Timing is questionable though. pic.twitter.com/syHWFijDOd
— Rajesh Lalwani (@rajeshlalwani) April 1, 2022
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