The deal between the Delhi Government and the Union Home Ministry on the proposed trifurcation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi was finally clinched after the former agreed to the idea of allowing the Centre to control the “controlling authority” for the three corporations.
Sources in the Delhi Government said the last bone of contention was who would hold the reins of the “controlling authority”, which is a Directorate that would be constituted to overlook the working of the three corporations under the Urban Development Department.
While nowhere else in the country does the Centre control the local bodies – since such action goes against the spirit of the 74th and 75th Amendments to the Constitution of India – the Delhi Government decided not to press the issue much for the time being as Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit wanted the trifurcation to go through as she believed that multiplicity of authority was hampering development works in the Capital city.
“The MHA wanted to retain the reins of the MCD and so it was decided that they should be allowed their way. The issue of overall control can be dealt with later,” said a senior official.
As it is the senior officials insist the three corporations would only take shape after the MCD elections in 2012. “Right now we are awaiting the Centre's final approval for the draft proposal. All the contentious issues have been resolved and the draft would now be placed before the Delhi Assembly in the form of a Bill. The House would be urged to allow the trifurcation.”
Then the Parliament, which had constituted the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, would be urged to repeal the aforesaid Act.
As all these procedures would take up time and by then the model code of conduct would come into force ahead of the MCD polls, the proposal for passing the new DMC Act is only expected to be placed before the Delhi Assembly after the civic body elections.
By then the committee constituted under retired IAS officer K. Dharmarajan for preparing the policy paper for the new Act is also expected to have completed its work. It would finalise the boundaries of the corporations, the revenue sharing model, how the personnel and cadre would be split, and other details.
Meanwhile, Ms. Dikshit reiterated on Tuesday that the Delhi Government was awaiting the final nod for the draft proposal and a session of the Delhi Assembly would be called to approve it.
