The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, with the goal of unifying the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi to ensure a robust setup for synergized and strategic planning and optimal resource utilization. The Bill, which seeks to amend the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act of 1957, was passed by the Lok Sabha on March 30.
Home Minister Amit Shah, who introduced the bill in the Rajya Sabha, said it would unify the NDMC, the SDMC, and the EDMC, accusing the AAP government in Delhi of treating the three civic bodies “step-motherly” for political reasons.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi divided in 2012
The trifurcation of the MCD in 2012 was done in haste, according to the Home Minister, resulting in an imbalance. “I looked for the reason why the municipal body was divided, but there was no reason in any file,” he said, adding that the goal was likely only known to those who had brought it.
He claimed that it was divided in such a way that two of them couldn’t even support themselves financially. “Even in the workers’ working conditions, there are inequalities, and as a result, there is deep resentment among them,” the Minister said.
Sanjay Singh, an AAP Rajya Sabha MP, questioned the timing of Bill’s introduction, asking, “Why did the Modi–led government wait until now to unify the MCDs?” The purpose of this bill is not to unite the MCDs. This is a Kejriwal–phobia legislation. The Election Commission was prevented from announcing the dates for the civic body elections in Delhi by the Centre,” he said.
Mr. Singh claimed that since the AAP took power, the Centre has only given Delhi 325 crores per year. Every year, we have given the Centre thousands of crores in taxes, he said. The move is “constitutionally suspect, legally untenable, administratively blunderous, and politically hypocritical,” according to Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi.
“This Bill is about a control freak ‘sarkar’ [government] exerting even more control.” It has nothing to do with Delhi’s plight or the plight of its unfortunate citizens. “This is a risky policy of delaying [polls] through delimitation, which will result in chaos, disorganization, and disaster,” he warned.
“Unfortunately, the ruling party, which is pushing the bill, wants to control, chaos, and corruption in municipal corporations. Of course, this would be contested.”
Mr. Singhvi took a shot at the government, claiming that the three municipal corporations’ admitted revenue gap was Rs. 2,200 crores a year ago. If the goal was to improve civic bodies, it should have specified how the gap would be closed. Mr. Singhvi also brought up the issue of reducing the total number of seats in the three corporations from 272 to 250.