MCDs mulling a merger?
27 Feb 2015 5:18 AM IST
Nearly three years after the trifurcation of the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi leaving the civic body into tatters, the proposal for the merger of the three Corporations have been sent to the Urban Development ministry and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.
From massive financial crunches to the deteriorating development index, the civic bodies have realised that the solution to all problems lies in the unity of all the three Corporations.
“Considering present circumstances, the three Corporations have decided that a merger is the most feasible option. A proposal has been sent to the Urban Development ministry and the BJP high command. We are now awaiting their response,” said Mohan Prasad Bhardwaj, chairman of standing committee, North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
During the split, the then Congress government was informed that the trifurcation will not be in public interest. The party in power already knew that the Corporation will not be a financially viable entity as most of the developed and planned areas that are accountable for the largest chunk of taxes and income collected would go to the SDMC. The South Corporation required less development owing to the already developed areas leading to surplus funds. Whereas, most of the underdeveloped areas, resettlement colonies, urban and rural villages, slums and juggis, starving for development with lesser incomes, came under the jurisdiction of North and East Delhi Corporation.
Considering the ground realties, the then Chief Minister had promised enough grants to all the three corporations to liquidate their financial liabilities to zero. With the change in the political scenario in 2012, as the Congress fell out of power in all the three newly created municipal corporations, the Delhi government backed out from the assurance of grants as promised by the CM. “All the five big hospitals are under North MCD. The medical and paramedical staffs have to be paid. The cost of maintenance and salaries is much higher than what SDMC and EDMC have to pay. Therefore, there is no uniformity of resources and funds,” said Bhardwaj.
From massive financial crunches to the deteriorating development index, the civic bodies have realised that the solution to all problems lies in the unity of all the three Corporations.
“Considering present circumstances, the three Corporations have decided that a merger is the most feasible option. A proposal has been sent to the Urban Development ministry and the BJP high command. We are now awaiting their response,” said Mohan Prasad Bhardwaj, chairman of standing committee, North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
During the split, the then Congress government was informed that the trifurcation will not be in public interest. The party in power already knew that the Corporation will not be a financially viable entity as most of the developed and planned areas that are accountable for the largest chunk of taxes and income collected would go to the SDMC. The South Corporation required less development owing to the already developed areas leading to surplus funds. Whereas, most of the underdeveloped areas, resettlement colonies, urban and rural villages, slums and juggis, starving for development with lesser incomes, came under the jurisdiction of North and East Delhi Corporation.
Considering the ground realties, the then Chief Minister had promised enough grants to all the three corporations to liquidate their financial liabilities to zero. With the change in the political scenario in 2012, as the Congress fell out of power in all the three newly created municipal corporations, the Delhi government backed out from the assurance of grants as promised by the CM. “All the five big hospitals are under North MCD. The medical and paramedical staffs have to be paid. The cost of maintenance and salaries is much higher than what SDMC and EDMC have to pay. Therefore, there is no uniformity of resources and funds,” said Bhardwaj.
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