Bill to merge Delhi's three civic bodies to be introduced in Lok Sabha today

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Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 will be introduced by Home Minister Amit Shah in Lok Sabha today.

Earlier on Tuesday (March 22), the Union Cabinet gave its nod to present a bill for the unification of three municipal corporations in Delhi, "The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022".

Erstwhile, Delhi Municipal Corporation was trifurcated into three municipal corporations including South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) in the year 2011, as per Delhi Municipal Corporation Amendment Act, 1911 (Delhi Act, 12 Of 2011).

Earlier, State Election Commissioner SK Srivastava informed that the Centre has deferred the announcement of polling dates for the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election after the central government raised a few issues that are yet to be legally examined by the Election Commission.

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He also informed that the Centre is planning to "unify" the three civic bodies and hence did not announce the poll schedule. The trifurcation of the corporation was uneven in terms of the territorial divisions and revenue-generating potential of each corporation. 

As a result, there was a huge gap in the resources available to the three corporations, vis-a-vis their obligations. The gap has widened over a period of time, increasing the financial difficulties of the three Municipal Corporations, leaving them incapacitated to make timely payment of salaries and retirement benefits to their employees and thereby creating serious impediments in maintaining civic services in Delhi.

The second half of the Budget session of Parliament began on March 14 and will conclude on April 8. The first half of the Budget session began on January 31 and concluded on February 11.