Centre gives in-principle nod for three-way division of MCD

The Home Ministry is expected to forward the state’s proposal to divide the civic agency into three parts for the Law Ministry’s approval early next week,Chief Secretary P K Tripathi said.

“We have in-principle approval. A few portions of the Bill are being rephrased to make them legally sound,” said Tripathi who accompanied Dikshit during her meeting with Chidambaram.

In June this year,the government had sent the Bill for Home Ministry’s clearance after altering the state cabinet’s earlier decision to split the MCD into five bodies and restricting the number to three.

Dikshit wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi in September,requesting that the Bill be passed by October,in time for next year’s municipal elections.

At least thrice this year,Home officials have returned the state’s proposal to split the civic body into three agencies,seeking clarifications on administrative and funding issues.

But after the meeting between Dikshit and Chidambaram on Friday,officials privy to the interaction were upbeat about the Bill being cleared soon.

“We have no doubts now. Although a written approval is required,we have sufficient verbal commitment that the Home Ministry will clear the Bill by next week,” an official said.