New Delhi: A special session of Delhi
Assembly to clear the proposal of MCD trifurcation today got
off to a stormy start with opposition BJP forcing repeated
adjournments seeking an assurance from the city government not
to allow FDI in retail in the capital.
As soon as the House began its proceedings, all
opposition MLAs trooped into the Well of the House, seeking
special discussion on the issue.
As Speaker Yoganand Shastri rejected their demand, the
BJP MLAs shouted slogans, accusing the city government of
ignoring the welfare of small traders of the city.
When the House assembled after the second adjournment,
Urban Development Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan tabled the bill
seeking trifurcation of the MCD.
With opposition MLAs not relenting, the House was
adjourned for the day.
Accepting a long-standing demand of Chief Minister Sheila
Dikshit, the Home Ministry had last week approved a proposal
of Delhi government to trifurcate MCD ahead of civic polls
in April next year.
After approval by the assembly, the Bill will be sent to
President Pratibha Patil for her assent.
As per the proposal, the new civic bodies in North and
South Delhi will have 104 wards each while the civic body in
East Delhi will have 64 wards and a directorate of municipal
services would be set up to coordinate functioning of the
three new bodies.
The Centre has also approved the proposal for increasing
reservation of seats for women in the civic body to 50 per
cent from the current 33 per cent.
In pushing for trifurcation of MCD, Dikshit had to face
opposition from within Congress with several leaders even
going to party chief Sonia Gandhi to complain against the
move.
PTI
