MCDs join hands over strike to attack govt Why is Centre not doing its bit, AAP asks BJP

STRIKE East, north and south civic bodies join hands, ask the government to release money as per its Constitutional duties

NEWDELHI:Thepoliticalleadership ofallthreemunicipalcorporations came together on Thursday and asked the Delhi government to at leastreleasependingduesonsanitation workers as per the Third DelhiFinanceCommissionrecommendations.

AddressingajointpressconferenceattheCivicCenter,mayorand standingcommitteechairmanofall thethreecivicbodiesdismissedthe AAPgovernment’sclaimofhaving released funds more than the due amounttothecorporations.

TheBJPleadersclaimedthatan amount of ₹2,380 crore is pending with state government as per the recommendations of the Third DelhiFinanceCommission.

“They have to pay ₹816.32cr to south corporation, ₹854.65cr to north corporation and ₹527.41cr to east corporation. We are not begging for money. They are bound to pay us as per Delhi Municipal CorporationAct,”saidSubhashArya, leader of house, south civic body

As per the Third Delhi Finance Commission recommendations, the three corporations should receive 10.5 % of amount collected through taxes, duties, tolls, etc. by the state government under the non-plan head. The grant in aid is dividedinthreeparts—5%aseducation expenditure, 4% for basis assignmentsand1.5%formunicipal reform funds.

The BJP leaders stressed that underArticle243oftheIndianConstitution,ifthemunicipalitiesarein financialdistressthenthestategovernmenthasaresponsibilitytoprovide assistance.

“But the state government is indifferenttowardsus.Despiteour regularcorrespondence,theDelhi governmentwaitedforthingstoget worse and for the workers to go on strike.Afterthattheyreleased₹199 crore. Deputy chief minister ManishSisodiablamedusfor‘mismanagement’offundswhilechiefminister Arvind Kejriwal is busy campaigning in Goa and has no time to address important issue back home,”saidSatyaSharma,mayor ofeastDelhicorporation.

Accordingtoher,theeastcorporation is ready to get its accounts audited by anyone, provided the Delhi government also goes throughthesameprocedure.

“Aftertrifurcation,theeastcorporation started with 10% deficit. But,itstillmanagedtoincreaserevenueby31%.Onthecontraryfrom 2012 till date, the government has managedtoincreaseitsrevenueby 17%,” said Jitender Chaudhary, standingcommitteechairman,East DelhiMunicipalCorporation.

Leader of house in north corporation,VijayPrakashPandeyasked whytheDelhigovernmenttreatsits own agencies running into losses differentlyfromthemunicipalcorporations. “Just like the corporations,theDelhiJalBoardandDelhi UrbanShelterImprovementCommission are running in losses of ₹1,800croreand₹1,200crorerespectively.But,theyarenotfacingfinancialcrunchbecausetheseareDelhi government’s baby and the CM is supposedtobethechairmaninboth thebodies.”

The leaders also demanded for an implementation Fourth Delhi FinanceCommissionreportrecommendations, pending since 2012 whichamountsto₹8,000crore.

“Despite accepting the finance commission’s report, the government is not increasing the global shareby12.5%and100%rebateon educationandentertainmenttax,” said Shailendra Singh, standing committeechairmanofSouthDelhi Municipal Corporation.

We have said time and again that the govt will implement the recommendations only if it is done in totality — that is Centre implements parts recommended for the Union urban development ministry.

NEWDELHI:The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday hit back at the BJP and said that though the Arvind Kejriwal government was being targeted for non implementation of the fourth Delhi finance commission recommendations, the civic bodies were mum when it came to asking the Centre to do its bit.

“We have said time and again that the AAP dispensation will implement the recommendations only if it is done in totality — that is the Centre implements the parts recommended for the Union urban development ministry. While demanding the implementation of the report, the BJP conveniently forgets that the Centre is to give the government some share of revenue,” AAP leader Dilip Pandey told reporters.

The Delhi Fourth Finance Commission was constituted on October 14, 2009, and it submitted its report to the Sheila Dikshit government in March, 2013.

The recommendations were to be implemented from 2010 to 2015. It was, however, delayed by three years. The AAP government finally tabled it in the Assembly in December 2015.

The key recommendations included:

The Delhi government was advised to increase the share in state taxes, duties, fees and toll to 12.5% against the existing 9.5%. The corporation was also recommended to change the existing formula of sharing funds among municipalities, that is population and area in 70:30 ratio as it adversely affected the financial health of at least two municipal corporations. The commission recommended the ministry not to deal with matters relating to constitution and powers of the municipalities and other local authorities in Delhi besides recusing itself from framing building bylaws.

Another key recommendation included transfer of control over Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and usage of the public funds collected in coffers of the DDA for development work in the Capital. The municipal bodies were directed to focus on core functions to improve financial health and exercise economy in expenditure on non-core issues. The measures included focussing on widening the tax base.

The report said that less than 25% of stock of buildings and vacant land are paying property tax on a voluntary basis.