Centre delegates some MCD powers to Delhi Government

The Union Government on Monday decided to hand over some of its powers relating to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to the Congress-ruled State Government in Delhi.

It has been a longstanding demand of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit that the civic body be handed over to her government to reduce multiplicity of authority. The State Government and the BJP-led civic body have been at loggerheads over the issue for a long time. While the Delhi Government has been accusing the MCD of inefficiency, the civic body had complained of a step-motherly treatment over fund allocation.

A Union Home Ministry official said on Monday that in some cases the power has been delegated subject to condition that it might be exercised or the order may be passed with the previous approval of the Central Government.

However, some powers of the Central Government will continue to be delegated to the Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi.

Pointing out that the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, confers a number of powers on the Union Government, the official said most of the powers have been delegated by the Union Government to the L-G.

“There have been numerous requests from time to time that the powers of the Union Government ought to be delegated to the Delhi Government. Recommendations to this effect have been made by the Balakrishnan Committee, Virendra Prakash Committee, Ashok Pradhan Committee, Omesh Saigal Committee and more recently by Second Administrative Reforms Commission chaired by Veerappa Moily,” the official said.

“The Union Government consulted the State Government, the Lieutenant-Governor and the MCD before deciding to delegate its powers and many of the provisions of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act to the State Government,” he added.