The Union Cabinet has on Tuesday approved the unification of the three municipal corporations in Delhi.
A bill for the purpose is to be tabled in the Parliament this week.
“Today union cabinet approved the unification of three municipal corporations – North, South, and East to one Municipal Corporation of Delhi. A bill for the three corporations is likely to be tabled in Parliament on March 24 or 25. After the unification of three corporations approved by the Parliament, Delhi will have one mayor in place of the existing three,” sources said.
The erstwhile Delhi Municipal Corporation had been trifurcated into three Municipal Corporations viz. 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 corporations, vis-a-vis their obligations,” sources said.
Government sources claimed that the gap has widened over a period of time, increasing the financial difficulties of the three Municipal Corporations and 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.
