Delhi MCD unification to be taken up by Parliament in upcoming Budget Session

DELHI: The unification of Delhi’s three municipal corporations of North, South and East Delhi will be taken up by the Centre in the upcoming budget session of Parliament, a senior Delhi BJP leader told the Indian Express.

The Express report mentions that an amendment regarding the unification is likely to be tabled during the second part of the budget session, which starts on March 14 and ends on April 8.

The State Election Commission had Wednesday postponed the announcement of dates for the municipal polls in Delhi, following a communication from the Centre regarding the unification of the civic bodies.

The press conference by the poll body was scheduled and media persons invited, but at the last minute the State Election Commissioner said the SEC was not announcing the poll dates.

The Delhi SEC later clarified they had received some communication from the Governor’s office regarding unification of the three bodies and hence the announcement was deferred.

The SEC clarified that the polls were neither deferred nor cancelled, it’s only that the announcement was deferred by a few days to factor in the changes.

The Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act will have to be amended by Parliament to unify the three municipalities – South, North and East MCDs and the Central government is ready with the paper work to amend the earlier Act.

“The party wants to reform the MCDs so that whichever party forms the government, it can deliver instead of fighting over funds,” the BJP leader told Indian Express.

“In the last five years, AAP has stopped funds to paralyze the MCDs so that it can come to power by bringing a bad name to the corporation,” the BJP leader was quoted as saying in the Express report.