After months of wait, Delhi government is all set to get formal approval of the Union Home Ministry early next week to its long-pending proposal for trifurcation of the MCD ahead of municipal polls.
Being strongly pushed by the Chief Minister, Ms Sheila Dixit, the proposal to split the MCD has been vetted by the Union Law Ministry and Home Ministry is in the process of sending it to Delhi government.
“We are expecting the formal approval (to the proposal) on Monday as Law Ministry has already sent the file to Home Ministry,” top officials of Delhi government said.
The Delhi government had sent the proposal to Home Ministry in early June seeking the go-ahead for trifurcation of the MCD ahead of municipal polls.
The Home Ministry, after giving the in-principle approval last week, sent the proposal to the Law Ministry for vetting.
The Chief Minister had met the Home Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, several times in the last three months seeking early clearance to the proposal. Ms Dixit had raised the issue with the Congress president, Ms Sonia Gandhi, in a meeting earlier this month.
The officials said an Assembly session will be called shortly after approval to the proposal is sent by the Home Ministry to the Delhi government.
Last month, the Home Ministry wanted certain amendments in the proposal, specifically on appointment of Commissioners for the three proposed municipal councils so as to allow the Centre to continue to have a say in the process.
The Delhi government has been pressing for early go-ahead to the proposal so that the entire process could be completed well ahead of coming into force of the election code of conduct for the municipal polls, scheduled to be held in April next year.
The Home Ministry had in September returned the proposal to the city government wanting to know specifically what would be the administrative structure, distribution of funds and how the city government plans to ensure proper coordination among three proposed bodies. The government sent a fresh proposal last month.