President Ram Nath Kovind gives assent to law merging Delhi's municipal bodies

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 19

The government on Tuesday notified The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022 after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the law, which also gave some clarity about how the new wards will be carved out.

With this, the Delhi’s East, South and North Delhi Municipal Corporations have been merged into one and will now be called the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the government will appoint a Special Officer, who will discharge the functions of the Corporation till the new elections take place.

The Centre will issue a separate notification for the unified (MCD).

“It shall come into force on such date as the Central government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint... Provided that different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act and any reference in any such provision to the commencement of this Act shall be construed as a reference to the coming into force of that provision,” said the notification.

The government said this notification is meant to inform the public about the Act receiving the President’s assent and indicated that a fresh census would be carried out to redraw the wards in Delhi.

Delhi currently has 272 wards. Under the unified MCD, the city will have a maximum of 250 wards, meaning it could be lower than the stipulated number.

“Upon the completion of each census after the establishment of the Corporation, the number of seats shall be on the basis of the population of Delhi as ascertained at that census and shall be determined by the Central government by notification in the Official Gazette and the number of seats to be reserved for the members of the Scheduled Castes shall, as nearly as may be, bear the same ratio to the total number of seats as the population of Scheduled Castes bears to the total population of Delhi,” the notification issued by the Ministry of Law and Justice read.

The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill was passed on April 5. It mandated the Centre to appoint a special officer to exercise the power and discharge the functions of the corporation until its first meeting was held. 

MCD elections were scheduled this month. On March 9, the State Election Commission deferred the announcement of the poll scheduled after receiving Centre’s communication about the merger of the three civic bodies.

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