The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which aims to reunify the Capital’s three civic bodies, is expected to receive the President’s nod this week, according to sources in the BJP. Once the Bill is cleared, the BJP’s seven MPs in Delhi are expected to have “more say” in civic issues in the city.
This, even as several Delhi BJP leaders associated with the municipal bodies over the years are seeking a berth in an advisory body, which may be formed, along with the unified MCD, under a special officer till the municipal elections are held.
BJP sources said the structural dimensions of the soon-to-be-notified single civic body were expected to be clearly defined “within the next 10 days” after which the delimitation of wards would be initiated by the State Election Commission.
A senior civic official also confirmed the possibility of the formation of an advisory committee to the special officer,who will administer the unified MCD till the civic elections, which, party sources said, could be postponed “at least till 2024” and might be conducted along side the Lok Sabha election.
‘Meetings held’
The senior civic official added that former senior Delhi BJP leaders, who held top posts at the civic-level, have confirmed that meetings have been held in the party office over the possibility of an advisory panel. In the meantime, the BJP has announced it would go to each municipal ward in the city to “explain” the reasons behind the Centre’s move to reunify the municipal corporations.
According to a senior Delhi BJP leader, however, there was a “strong possibility” of not forming an advisory body and instead putting the unified MCD under the charge of “two to three Commissioners” who would report to the special officer.
This special officer’s point of contact with the city government, the leader said, could be restricted to the Chief Secretary of Delhi and not the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department, who is also the Director of Local Bodies, as is currently the case.
“The BJP’s Delhi unit seems to be in the dark because some former councillors are very confident about the formation of an advisory panel, while many others are beating around the bush over its possibility,” said a senior civic official.
The official added that constituting such a committee would be a political move, which might contradict the introduction of the Bill as a non-political move according to the Home Minister’s [Amit Shah] statements.
The official added that the civic body has been superseded in the past as well with a special officer taking charge, but no advisory committees were constituted. This was especially the case for several years in the mid 1980s.
“But we cannot rule out the possibility of the committee being formed given the timing and the manner in which the Bill was tabled. If formed, this committee will basically serve as the party’s political face at the civic-level because there will be no councillors after the Houses are dissolved, and till the elections are held,” the official said.
“As of now, some former councillors believe that at least two of them will represent East Delhi in the advisory committee,” the official said while emphasising the possibility of MPs coming into play, instead of a committee, in order to maintain public faces for the party’s presence at the civic level.
MPLADS funds
According to the senior official, the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund — which is given to each MP for development-related works in their constituency — can come into play at the civic level.
“The corporations do not exclusively spend the funds, it depends on the service-providing agency under which the project falls, like Delhi Jal Board for water-related work. But, the corporations have been selected as the nodal agency to keep the funds, whenever required; they disburse it and this is a practice that is already in place,” the official said.
“Now, the Union government has taken control of the municipal corporations, so the MPs will also have a say. This will also help the party maintain a public presence in the absence of councillors,” said the official.
