Delhi Municipal Corporation Amendment Bill passed in Lok Sabha will be introduced in Rajya Sabha this week. After the bill is passed, the corporation council is likely to be dissolved from April 18. Such speculations are being made that the date of election will be announced only after the appointment of a special officer in the corporation. However, it is expected from the bill that the deficit can be met by the amalgamation of corporations. At the same time, due to the lack of clear intention of the central government, there is a situation of confusion among the three major political parties of Delhi.
After approval from both the houses, the central government will issue a notification announcing the dissolution of the corporations. Constitution experts say that the Home Ministry will have to issue an order to dissolve the corporations before April 18 to implement the new system. According to the Municipal Corporation Act, every year in the month of April, in the first meeting of the house, a new mayor has to be elected.
If the corporation is not dissolved, elections will have to be held by May 18 this year, in which case the State Election Commission will have to announce the election schedule. Because after being passed by both the houses of the Parliament, the Central Government will have little time to dissolve the corporations. In special circumstances, it will be legally mandatory to dissolve the three corporations by April 30.
Officers can be appointed before elections
A special officer appointed from the center will run the three corporations till the elections of the corporation are held. It is also being said that till the time the corporation is not formed, a committee can be formed on the lines of New Delhi Municipal Council. In this committee, political people will be nominated like NDMC, who will be specially authorized to run it.
Delhi government will not be able to interfere in corporations
Experts say that all powers to interfere in the functioning of the corporation will be taken away from the Delhi government. There will be direct intervention of the central government. Doubt remains on which departments of the state government will come under the responsibility of the corporation. The corporation may again get Delhi Transport Corporation, Delhi Jal Board and Delhi Fire Services.
During the discussion on the bill in the Lok Sabha, West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma has demanded that departments like DTC, Delhi Jal Board, Urban Shelter Improvement Board and Fire Department be handed over to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi as before.