The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to merge the three municipal corporations in the national capital into a single entity, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday amid opposition claims that the move was beyond the legislative competence of Parliament. Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai introduced the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, dismissing the claims made by the opposition.
Rai said Article 239AA gave Parliament the right to make laws with respect to any matter of Union Territory. RSP member N K Premachandran, Congress members Gaurav Gogoi and Manish Tewari, BSP member Ritesh Pandey opposed the introduction of the bill contending that Parliament lacked the legislative competence to amend the Bill.
The Bill seeks to merge the three municipal corporations of Delhi into a single entity and the total number of seats of councillors and those reserved for Scheduled Castes members will be determined by the Centre.
“Upon the completion of each census after the establishment of the Corporation, the number of seats shall be on the basis of the population of Delhi as ascertained at that census and shall be determined by the central government…” the Bill reads.
Here is all you need to know about what the Bill proposes and why is the AAP protesting against the reform:
Here’s What the Bill proposes?
The Bill seeks to merge the three municipal corporations of Delhi into a single, integrated and well-equipped entity and the number of seats in the merged MCD will not exceed 250.
It also proposes appointing a special officer, who would be designated to oversee its function till the first meeting of the body is held under the reunification law.
The number of seats of councillors and those reserved for Scheduled Caste members in the merged body will be determined by the central government through a notification in the official gazette, the statement of objects and reasons said.
MCD’s History
Delhi has five local bodies namely the North, East and South Delhi municipal corporations, the Delhi Cantonment Board and the New Delhi Municipal Council. The majority of Delhi’s area is covered by the North, South and East Delhi corporations.
These three corporations were known as a single entity as Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) before 2012. The then Sheila Dixit government in 2012 decided to trifurcate the MCD. The move was opposed by the RWAs, saying it had led to unequal distribution of funds and mismanagement as there was no accountability.
AAP Protests
AAP has slammed the Union Cabinet’s nod to the bill as a “tactic to delay”‘ civic polls and asserted that “it will not make any difference in the poll prospects”. AAP’s Delhi unit convenor and Environment Minister Gopal Rai alleged that the Centre has brought the bill as the BJP was set to lose in the election.
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had dared the BJP to “get the civic polls in the city held on time” and win it, saying his Aam Aadmi Party will quit politics if so happens. The BJP is now getting municipal corporation elections in the city cancelled, he alleged and expressed apprehension that the same may be done for the state and national-level elections in the future.
Read all the Latest News India and Breaking News here
Comments
0 comment