Indian Express 14.09.2009
Govt gets Home Ministry nod to control MCD
Following Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s demand to bring the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) under the control of the Delhi government, the Home Ministry is believed to have given an in-principle approval to the proposal and sent a note to the Delhi government regarding the same.
Sources in the Home Ministry said a presentation on the proposal was made at the ministry last week and the Delhi government has been asked to respond to the note to take the process forward.
While Dikshit has been persistently asking for control over Delhi Police as well, sources said so far the approval is only for ‘segmenting’ powers over the MCD.
Dikshit confirmed receiving the note on Saturday and said a reply will be sent to the Centre after a meeting with the Cabinet. “I haven’t read the letter so far in detail, but it mentions a few clauses that the Delhi government will have to consider,” she said. “We have a meeting on Monday, so I will be able to comment on it only then,” she added.
With the MCD currently being an autonomous body functioning under the Centre, sources in the Home Ministry said while there is an in-principle approval on the matter, the proposal has to be discussed with all stakeholders.
Officials indicated there are several authority-related matters that needed to be ironed out before a final decision is taken, as the BJP is the ruling majority in the MCD House currently. The MCD, which came into existence on April 7, 1958, under an Act of Parliament, is one of the three civic agencies in the city and has about 96 per cent of the city under its jurisdiction.
Dikshit, meanwhile, has been pursuing the matter with Home Minister P Chidambaram since the UPA was voted back to power this May as part of an attempt to ensure better coordination between departments and greater efficiency in carrying out projects and developmental work.
BJP brickbats
* Delhi BJP chief O P Kohli: “This is entirely politically motivated and they should instead push for Delhi being recognised as full state.” * BJP Leader of Opposition, V K Malhotra: “This is an act of mischief on the part of the ruling party. We have been asking for full statehood since 1958. The party will have a meeting to plan the course of action.”* MCD Mayor Kanwar Sain: “We cannot tolerate this sort of interference. This is bullying us, literally.”
* Commonwealth Games projects delayed, leading to Dikshit demanding the removal of multiplicity of authority: Construction of 16 railway bridges, beautifying 12 roads around the Games venues, redeveloping the Paharganj area and areas near the New Delhi railway station and developing parking lots by covering Kushak Nallah and Sunehri Nallah. * Work in unauthorised colonies: Urban Development Minister AK Walia recently complained about the slow-pace work carried by the MCD in these colonies, which has led to a delay in issuing provisional certificates to nearly 400 colonies.* Desilting of drains: The blame game over desilting of drains between the government and MCD is a routine part of monsoon. The MCD is in charge of 1,500 odd drains and Walia recently pulled up the civic body for not completing desilting on time.
