New mayors prefer the old unified MCD

Buoyed by BJP’s clean sweep in the mayoral polls in the capital, two newly elected Mayors have said that they prefer a unified civic body for Delhi over a trifurcated one, and will raise the matter with the party if it comes to power at the centre.

North Delhi Mayor Yogender Chandolia, who was elected unopposed, has made his stand clear on the issue and intends to take it up with the party soon after the election results.

“There should never have been three municipal corporations in the capital, but the Delhi government stubbornly decided to trifurcate it,” Chandolia said.

Chandolia, 51, blamed the  Dikshit government of imposing the burden of three civic bodies on the city.

“In my opinion there should be one MCD, but I also know that state BJP in its manifesto talks of trifurcation. Since, it is party’s decision I have to follow it but I can tell you that I will raise the unified civic body issue with the party,” he said.

The trifurcation created conflict in resource allocations and led to suffering of many employees in its wake.

“Post-trifurcation, many projects were halted since their funding was approved during unified time and there were no concrete policies address the issues. Similarly, funding of libraries suffered too,” he said.

Hardinge Library (now Hardyal Library) in Old Delhi’s Chandani Chowk area is situated in north Delhi but it has branches in various other parts of the city leading to conflict in resource allocation.

Chandolia further expounded the problems saying, “Many employees have not been able to get their pensions, a situation which would not have arisen if there was one municipal corporation.”

East Delhi Mayor Meenakshi concurred with Chandolia.

“Trifurcation also led to problems increasing three times. We cannot have three policies for the same city. More so, funding for east Delhi has suffered after the trifurcation. We have little house tax and there are many other issue to be dealt with,” the 32-year-old mayor said.