On same page to revive financial health of debt-ridden civic bodies
The AAP administration in Delhi and the BJP-led government at the Centre, often at loggerheads on a host of contentious issues, are said to be on the same page when it comes to the issue of unification of the city’s three municipal bodies. The main reason for the two coming to terms for unification of the municipal corporations is to revive the financial health of the debt-ridden civic bodies.
Ever since the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was trifurcated by the erstwhile Sheila Dikshit government in 2012, two of its entities — East and North Delhi Municipal Corporations — are facing severe financial crises and as a result they have not been able to pay timely salaries and other allowances to their employees during the last three months.
Well-placed sources in the civic bodies said that chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Union home minister Rajnath Singh are in favour of the unification of the three corporations, who are under the control of the latter’s ministry.
The sources said that financial and administrative problems being faced by the three civic corporations were raised before Mr Singh and he assured state BJP leaders that decision will taken for strengthening the civic bodies. “Union home minister Rajnath Singh in informal meetings with senior municipal councillors and senior Delhi BJP leaders assured that any proposal from state government regarding merger of the civic bodies will be consider appropriately for better financial and administrative health of municipal corporations in the city,” a source said.
Another leader, present in the meeting with the Union home minister, said that Mr Singh, however, suggested the leaders present there to make consensus within the party and other platform on the issue. “He (Mr Singh) suggested that party’s current leadership should also take opinion from senior party leaders like Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra and others on the issue,” he added.
The sources also said that on two occasions while interacting with the political heads of three municipal corporations, Mr Kejriwal had talked about unification of local bodies.
“Twice while interacting with the three mayors, Mr Kejriwal had said that the Delhi government has no objection if the unification of the three civic bodies done for improving civic services in the city,” he added.
Confirming that Mr Kejriwal had given his favourable opinion on the unification of municipal bodies, South Delhi mayor Subhash Arya said that chief minister said it can be done for larger public interest. “We had suggested Mr Kejriwal that can be done by sending the proposed amendment in existing law to the Union home ministry after getting it approved by the Delhi Assembly. We assured him that we will support them on the matter,” added Mr Arya.
It is believed that if the three local bodies will be unified then it will help reduce administrative expenses incurred in maintaining three headquarters and three heads of several departments. “Unification of three corporation will bring down salaries and other administrative expenses by few hundred crores per annum which will be huge amount in current financial situation,” said a senior civic official.
