Critical Analysis On The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022

Why in news -

In the year 1957, The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act was implemented. A major amendment
was brought in year 2011 wherein the Delhi Municipal Corporation was divided into three parts
namely; (i) South Delhi Municipal Corporation, (ii) East Delhi Municipal Corporation, and (iii)
North Delhi Municipal Corporation. On the 25th of March, 2022 ‘The Delhi Municipal Corporation
(Amendment) Bill’ was introduced in the lower house of the parliament. The main objective behind
this amendment bill is to unify these three civic bodies into one corporation. The name after the
unification process will be ‘The Municipal Corporation of Delhi.’ This bill is very likely to turn
into an act as it was by passed by the Lok Sabha on 30 th of March, 2022 and by the Rajya Sabha on
5th of April, 2022.

Significant changes made by the bill -

Reduced powers of the Delhi Government:

Matters like total number of seats for Scheduled Caste, delimitation, division of zones into wards,
salary and allowances etc, were in the hands of the Commissioner working under the direct
supervision of the Delhi Government after the 2011 amendment. Although, this amendment seeks
to change it and now these matters will be handled by the Central Government.

Reduced number of councilors and omission of the post of Director of Local Bodies:
The 14th schedule of the act mentions about the cap on number of councilors. The total number of
councilors has been reduced from 272 to 250.
The duties of the Director of Local Bodies included co-ordination between the three erstwhile
municipal corporations, distribution of toll tax and recruitment process. The new bill omits this
position.

Other significant changes include inclusion of E-governance system for all as compulsory function
of the new unified Municipal Corporation. A step which is undertaken to ensure better
accountability and transparent administration. All sweepers engaged in house scavenging had to
undergo a 14 days period post submitting their resignation in writing or provide proof of a
reasonable cause if any such person wishes to leave immediately. This mandatory provision is
excluded in the new bill.

Overall perspective -

This was seen as a welcome move as it was stated in the parliament that the trifurcation in 2011
was done in a hurried manner and no significant objective was achieved through the same. It
eventually led in two of the municipal corporations being close to insolvency. Although Congress
leader Abhishek Singhvi critiqued the bill by stating that the admitted revenue gap between the
corporations I.e. 2,200 CR. rupees was admitted and if the objective of this unification was the
improvement of these civic bodies then the bill should have mentioned as to how the revenue gap
would be reduced. He also stated this bill as politically hypocritical and constitutionally suspect.