Appointment of Committee to restructure MCD comes under flak

New Delhi, Apr 27 (UNI) The Centre's decision to set up a Committee to study the issue of restructuring of the MCD today came in for flak from members of the MCD House.

Speaking at a meeting of the House, under the chairmanship of new Mayor Farhat Suri, Leader of the opposition in the MCD, Subhash Arya termed the Centre's move to set up the committee, as per suggestions from some quarters to set up a number of smaller Corporations, instead of one Corporation, as 'politically motivated' and done keeping in view the comming assembly polls in Delhi.

''If at all any such committee had to be set up, it should have been done three to four years ago. Announcing the setting up of the committee just when polls are round the corner clearly seems to be a "politically motivated" move,''Mr Arya said.

The Committee, which will study the issue of restructuring of the MCD and suggest an appropriate model, is headed by former Secretary to the Government of India and former Chief Secretary of Delhi Omesh Saigal. It consists of the Union Home Secretary or his representative, the Union Urban Development Secretary or his representative, Secretary, Municipal Affairs of the Government of West Bengal and Prof. V.N. Alok from the Indian Institute of Public Administration. Mr O.P. Kelkar, Principal Secretary (Urban Development) will be the Member Secretary.

The Committee has been asked to submit its report within a period of two months.

''The financial and administrative viability of setting up smaller Corporations, rather than one Corporation in the whole of Delhi, should have been worked out before announcing the formation of the committee,''Mr Arya said.

In this context, he pointed at the "woefully inadequate" collections by the MCD by way of house tax.

''Out of a target of over 1500 crore of house tax, the actual collections last year was just about Rs 500 crore. All such facts should be considered while taking any decision on restruturing of MCD,''Mr Arya said.

Speaking on the issue, Leader of the House Jitender Kochar said he would present his views to the committee when called upon to do so.

''It is quite possible that the committee could come up with a suggestion or two on ways to manage civic services efficiently,''Mr Kochar said.

Sources in the MCD aver that rather than restructuring of the MCD, a better solution to the present woes of the corporation would be to grant more powers to the commissioners of the respective zones to enable them to manage civic facilities efficiently.

UNI AR YA VC1825