Merger of civic bodies: Delhi Congress questions financial viability of new corporation

It will also financially strengthen the civic body, Gupta claimed.According to the legislation, the total number of seats of councillors will be reduced from current 272 to 250.All properties, movable and immovable, of or belonging to the erstwhile corporations shall vest in the new Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

Delhi Congress on Tuesday questioned financial viability of the merger of three municipal corporations in the national capital even as the BJP claimed that the new civic body will prove to be a “milestone” in the development journey of the city.

''Where will the funds come from to revive the corporation which has been cleaned up due to corruption,” Kumar questioned.

Kumar said that if the Modi government does not infuse the funds needed to revive the ''debt-ridden'' municipal corporations, they will continue to ''stagnate'' with their existing problems including lack of funds to pay employees’ salaries.

President Ram Nath Kovind has given his assent to the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which seeks to unify the three civic bodies in Delhi.

The legislation was approved by the Lok Sabha on March 30 and by the Rajya Sabha on April 5.

Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta said that the unification of three municipal corporations into a single entity will prove to be a milestone in the development journey of the city.

''The biggest beneficiaries of the unification will be employees of corporations. It will also financially strengthen the civic body,'' Gupta claimed.

According to the legislation, the total number of seats of councillors will be reduced from current 272 to 250.

All properties, movable and immovable, of or belonging to the erstwhile corporations shall vest in the new Municipal Corporation of Delhi. All the rights and liabilities of the erstwhile corporations shall be transferred to and be the rights and liabilities of the new corporation.

The erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in 2012 when late Sheila Dikshit was the chief minister of Delhi and the Congress-led UPA was in power at the Centre.