North Corpn moves proposal to unify 3 civic bodies

NEW DELHI: North Delhi Municipal Corporation has formally placed a proposal before its standing committee to unify the three civic bodies in the city. Last month, BJP functionaries from all three municipal corporations had written to the home ministry in this connection. The unification idea has been floated as both North and East Corporations are reeling under severe financial crisis triggered by mounting debt.The situation is so alarming that they don't have money to pay salaries to their staff.
"Because of the split, no developmental work was carried out in east and north Delhi and it's the people who are suffering. Both North and East Corporations have come to a point where we don't have money to even pay the staff. There was unequal distribution of assets and it was done in a haste," said Rekha Gupta, BJP councillor from Pitampura.
North Corporation's standing committee meeting will be held on Thursday. Committee chairman Mohan Bhardwaj is strongly backing the idea. "Trifurcation hasn't helped anyone. It has just worsened the financial situation. The Delhi government isn't releasing the money and we are unable to pay our staff," said north Delhi Mayor Yogender Chandolia.
The erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi was split during the Congress regime in 2011. The Sheila Dikshit government cited the city's growing population to justify the trifurcation move. The main objective behind the DMC Bill, 2011, was to make provisions in law for restructuring of the MCD by creating more than one corporation in the capital.
Citing the Bill, Bhardwaj said that restructuring of the MCD was proposed to be done in such a way that "there is no additional building, other infrastructure and staff. There would be additional financial liability in creating more posts which will be met through internal resources and no financial assistance will be sought from the government of India".
However, corporations had to take loans from the government and North and East Corporations were born with a deficit in 2012. "East Corporation needs a minimum grant of Rs 600 crore just to sustain. Officials aren't paid for three months and we are on the brink of bankruptcy," said Mehek Singh, BJP councillor.
Not only North Corporation, even South and East Corporations are contemplating the unification idea as well. of the MCD. "The experiment by Congress's government has miserably failed and the only way to balance the corporation funds is through unification," said Subhash Arya, standing committee chairman, South Corporation.