MCD Unification: Three Municipal Corporations Of Delhi To Be Formally Merged Today — All About It

Replying to the debates, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had contended that the move was necessitated due to the "step-motherly treatment" meted out to the civic bodies by the AAP government in Delhi.

New Delhi: The three municipal corporations of Delhi will be formally merged on Sunday. According to a notification issued by the Union Home Ministry, the Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022 will come into effect on May 22. The legislation was approved by Lok Sabha on March 30 and by Rajya Sabha on April 5. President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent on April 18. In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022 (10 of 2022), the Central Government hereby appoints the 22nd day of May 2022 on which the Municipal Corporation of Delhi shall be constituted, another notification stated.

Special Officer & Commissioner Of Unified MCD

The Union Government has appointed IAS officers Ashwani Kumar and Gyanesh Bharti as the special officer and commissioner of the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) respectively.

The special officer will be the top authority handling the civic affairs till a new House is elected, news agency PTI reported civic officials as saying.

Ashwani Kumar, a 1992-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, was the chief secretary of Puducherry. He had recently been transferred to Delhi by the Union government and was awaiting posting.

Gyanesh Bharti, a 1998-batch IAS officer of the AGMUT cadre, is currently the commissioner of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation. He was the senior-most among the three municipal commissioners of Delhi.

According to the Union Home Ministry's order, the appointments come into effect from Sunday (May 22) when the three civic bodies get unified.

The term of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) ended on Thursday, while the EDMC completes its term today.

The term of the elected representatives of the SDMC ended on Wednesday.

After the appointment of the special officer and the new commissioner for the unified MCD, the exercise to reshuffle and reorganise the municipal staff begins.

Trifurcation & Amit Shah's Response To Opposition

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in 2011 under the rule of Sheila Dikshit-led Delhi government with the Congress-led UPA in power at the Centre.

According to the legislation, the unification of the municipal corporations in Delhi aims to ensure synergised and strategic planning and optimal utilisation of resources.

Several opposition parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), had opposed the legislation to reunify the MCDs in Parliament.

Replying to the debates, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had contended that the move was necessitated due to the "step-motherly treatment" meted out to the civic bodies by the AAP government in Delhi.

"This bill is in accordance with the Constitution. The Centre has the power to enact laws in the Union Territory of Delhi... This bill, from no angle, is an attack on the federal structure," the Union home minister had said, in response to concerns raised by some opposition members.

Delhi is only a Union Territory and not a full state, he had mentioned, adding that Parliament has the competence to frame laws for Delhi.

New MCD Legislation

According to the legislation, the total number of seats of councillors and the number of seats reserved for the members of the Scheduled Caste (SC) communities in the corporation, shall, at the time of the establishment of the corporation, be as determined by the Centre and in no case, be more than 250.

Upon the completion of each census after the establishment of the corporation, the number of seats shall be on the basis of the city's population as ascertained at that census and shall be determined by the Centre.

The number of seats to be reserved for the members of the SC communities shall bear the same ratio to the total number of seats as the population of SCs bears to the total population of Delhi.

All properties, movable and immovable, of or belonging to the erstwhile corporations shall vest in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. All the rights and liabilities of the erstwhile corporations shall be transferred to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Any pending proceedings, including disciplinary, arbitration, appeal or other legal proceedings, of whatever nature, by or against the erstwhile corporations shall be continued or enforced by or against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

The legislation was introduced in Lok Sabha weeks before the polls to the three civic bodies of Delhi -- South, North and East -- were scheduled to be conducted.

The polls, which were scheduled to be held in April, were deferred by the Delhi State Election Commission in March, citing a communication from the lieutenant governor which informed that the Centre was contemplating reunifying the three MCDs.

(With Agency Inputs)