Mayors harden stance, threaten 3-day strike if report not tabled

Municipal Corporations, which are facing <g data-gr-id="42">acute</g> shortage of money, have been forcing the Delhi government to table the report of Fourth Financial Commission which has recommended <g data-gr-id="43">hike</g> in Corporations’ share from the state government’s revenue. The civic agencies, in order to improve their condition, asked the government to table the report during the current Assemble session.
  

Slamming the AAP government, the cash-strapped Corporations said that the Congress and the AAP are responsible for not tabling the Commission’s report due to which MCDs are facing a deep financial crunch these days. According to the leaders, the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission, which is mandated to examine the financial position of the municipalities, was established in <g data-gr-id="47">October,</g> 2009. 

“The commission had submitted its final report on April 5, 2013, but due to government inaction under the Congress regime and subsequent AAP rule, it has not been implemented so far,” said Ravinder Gupta, Mayor of North MCD. 

He also informed that the commission’s report is gathering dust for last two years due to which all three Corporations are facing a <g data-gr-id="26">fund</g> crunch.  

All three Mayors, in a joint press conference, said that they had asked the Delhi government to bring pending financial commission report for <g data-gr-id="32">discussion</g> but the AAP government is not willing to respond. 

“The Delhi government is showing no interest in tabling report of the commission in the current running Legislative Assembly hence we have decided to <g data-gr-id="31">organise</g> a three-day protest against them. If the government fails to pay heed to the need, we will not hesitate to move court,” Gupta <g data-gr-id="27">siad</g>.  

“Tabling of the recommendations of the fourth Finance Commission has become more relevant keeping in view the financial crisis. This commission also contains <g data-gr-id="28">recommendation</g> to <g data-gr-id="29">regularise</g> tax and non-tax rates and introduce new <g data-gr-id="34">revenue generating</g> measures,” said SDMC Mayor Subhash Arya. 

He further added that if Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s attitude toward Municipal Corporations remains the same, civic services might come to a halt. Mayor of the EDMC Harshdeep Malhotra said: “When the East MCD was established in 2012 it’s income was 14 against 24 per cent of investment. We were already experiencing a 10 <g data-gr-id="36">per cent</g> loss every year.”