New Delhi: Elections to the three proposed
municipalities slated for April and subsequent setting up of
the new civic bodies will be top priority for Chief Minister
Sheila Dikshit this year.
Dikshit, who played a pivotal role in pushing for
trifurcation of the civic body, said completing the whole
process of splitting the MCD -- one of the largest municipal
bodies in the world -- would be a major task ahead of her
government.
"Municipal elections and completing the process of
trifurcation of the MCD would be the top priority," Dikshit
said when asked about her priorities in 2012.
The Delhi government on Thursday last had notified the
Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act 2011 paving way
for holding the municipal polls for three new municipalities
splitting the MCD, which had come into existence on April 7,
1958 under an Act of Parliament.
A special session of the Delhi Assembly had passed the
Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill on December one
following which it was sent to President Pratibha Patil for
her assent. The government had received the Presidential
assent to the bill early last week.
The splitting of the MCD, currently being ruled by BJP,
has been seen as Dikshit`s hold over Delhi Congress as despite
stiff opposition from a section of her own party, she went
ahead with the proposal which was first endorsed by top
leadership of AICC and then cleared by Home Ministry.
As per the Act, MCD will be split into North, South and
East Delhi municipal corporations and 50 per cent of total 272
seats will be reserved for women as against current 33 per
cent. While the North and South Delhi bodies will have 104
wards each, the civic body in East Delhi will have 64 wards.
The officials said government will now start the process
of setting up a directorate of municipal services which will
carry out the groundwork for splitting the MCD into three
smaller bodies and later coordinate functioning of the three
municipalities.
They said said State Election Commissioner Rakesh Mehta
has also started the process of selecting the wards to be
reserved for women and scheduled caste candidates.
Mehta is expected to finalise the process in a week`s
time.
The directorate of municipal services will be controlled
by the Delhi government and it would coordinate functioning of
the three new bodies.
PTI
