Sheila govt fast-tracks law for MCD split

The government plans to call a special session of the Assembly mid-summer to approve the draft legislation,or Bill,to clear all procedural requirements in time to be enforced before next year’s municipal elections,an official said.

The Delhi Cabinet last month approved in-principle splitting of the agency into five local bodies to increase its efficiency and for effective management. “We are aiming to have the next municipal elections on the changed boundaries. We will send the draft Bill to the Home ministry soon for clearance,” the official said.

Once the ministry sends its approval,the Bill will be tabled for clearance in the Assembly and sent back to the Home ministry for final clearance before it can be enforced as law to facilitate the MCD’s division.

Another senior official said the government has simultaneously mobilised work on preparing a new municipal law. “The Dharmarajan committee,which was formed last year,has been reactivated with the clear mandate of framing a new municipal act that will regulate the functioning of the smaller corporations,” an urban development official said on anonymity.

The plan approved in-principle by the Cabinet proposes to have six municipal wards instead of the existing four under each of Delhi’s 70 Assembly segments,the official said.

“The state’s electoral map will have to be redrawn,which is a rather lengthy process. We are already planning that too,” the official said. Delhi’s electoral boundaries were last revised on the basis of data provided by the 2001 Census — every municipal ward currently has roughly 50,000 voters.

The government plans to rejig the boundaries now on the basis of the fresh census data expected this year,an official said,and it expects the number of voters in each ward to reduce to roughly 40,000. “This will further consolidate the jurisdiction of a councillor for effective work delivery. Even voters will find it easy to get their work done,” the official said.

According to the proposal approved by the Cabinet,each of the five proposed corporations will have a mayor and a commissioner. The government will also appoint a principal commissioner who will act as the administrative head of all five corporations.

Though each body will function independently and possess powers to take financial decisions,a central body — the Municipal Management Council — will be formed for macromanagement. The council will be chaired by the Chief Minister.