Unification of MCDs will improve its financial position: Maken

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) After the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Unification Bill, which paves the way for the merger of Delhis three municipal corporations -- north, south and east -- into one, the Congress said that while the move will improve its financial position, it could have been done earlier.

The Bill is likely to be tabled in the Parliament soon.

Congress General Secretary Ajay Maken said, "The consensus is that along with being administratively beneficial, the unification of the municipal corporations will improve its financial position. The Union government should have brought this Bill at least six months earlier to prevent any delay in MCD elections."

Maken also slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi for financially 'starving' the municipal bodies.

"The AAP government cannot escape any blame, as it had financially starved the municipal corporations for political reasons. The Union and state governments should not enter into a new blame game and ensure holding of MCD elections as soon as possible," Maken said.

However, the Congress leader said that he will make his final comments after seeing the Bill.

The decision to merge the three MCDs into one was approved on Tuesday by the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Bill for 'The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022' will provide for a unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi by subsuming the existing three corporations.

The erstwhile Delhi Municipal Corporation was trifurcated into three municipal bodies -- South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), and East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) -- in 2011 vide the Delhi Municipal Corporation Amendment Act, 1911 (Delhi Act, 12 Of 2011).

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 bodies, vis-a-vis their obligations.

The gap has widened over a period of time, increasing the financial difficulties of the three municipal bodies, leaving them incapacitated to make timely payment of salaries and retirement benefits to their employees, thereby creating serious impediments in maintaining civic services in the national capital.