Delhi: Bill to merge MCDs likely to give Centre funding option

At present, the BJP-ruled civic bodies and the AAP government have been at loggerheads over funding, with MCD saying the Delhi government does not give its due share. The AAP however alleges that corruption is the reason for civic bodies lacking funds. The economic crisis has led to the staff going on strike over 50 times in the past five years.

A senior BJP leader said the Bill that will be tabled in the Budget session will likely have a provision that provides more avenues to the MCD for generating funds through the Centre. “Also, in the existing slabs, it could be made binding for the Delhi government to pay the share of MCDs,” said a senior BJP leader.

At the moment, the Centre can give direct funds only under certain schemes like Swachh Bharat, but this cannot be used for day to day running of the MCDs. The changes will help the party send out a message to the public of how they plan to fix the fund crisis if voted to power again, the leader said.

Another senior Delhi BJP leader said the party also wants to avoid a situation where people feel having AAP control both the state and civic body will allow smoother functioning of the latter.

“So we had asked the senior leadership to think of changing the provisions. In other UTs, such arrangements already exist,” he said. Among the reforms being considered by the party dispensation are direct election of mayor and her tenure being increased to at least two-and-a-half years instead of the existing one year.

The BJP had swept the 2017 elections, winning 181 out of 270 wards and an absolute majority in each of the corporations.

The AAP came a distant second with 48 seats while the Congress, which won 30 seats, made significant gains compared to the 2015 Assembly polls, when it drew a blank.