Rajya Sabha passes bill to unify three municipal corporations of Delhi

The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which seeks to unify the three municipal corporations of the national capital was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022 in the Rajya Sabha today.

While introducing the bill, Shah said it will unify the three municipal corporations -- North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

He also accused the AAP government in Delhi of meting out "step-motherly" treatment to the three civic bodies for political reasons.

The three municipal corporations control around 1,400 sq km of the city and their smooth functioning is necessary for the citizens of Delhi and the country.

Shah also said the trifurcation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was done in a hurry in 2012 which led to an imbalance.

"I searched the reason for which the municipal body (MCD) was divided but no reason was available in any file," he said, adding, "The objective was probably known only to the people who had brought it." After 10 years of division, the results were not as expected. All three municipal corporations adopted different policies.

"There was no unanimity in the policies adopted for a city. This is because when they were trifurcated their financial resources and responsibilities were not properly addressed," he said.

It was divided in such a manner that two of them could not even financially sustain themselves, Shah added.

"Even there are inequalities in service conditions of the workers and because of this, there is a deep resentment among them," he said.

Meanwhile, the Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on March 30.

Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had opposed the introduction of the Bill in the Lower House.

(With PTI inputs)