The Delhi government on Tuesday approved release of Rs 374 crore to three BJP-ruled municipal corporations under Municipal Reform Fund to help the civic agencies tide over “difficult financial conditi
The Delhi government on Tuesday approved release of Rs 374 crore to three BJP-ruled municipal corporations under Municipal Reform Fund to help the civic agencies tide over “difficult financial conditions.”
The decision was taken by a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Cabinet approved Rs 145.30 crore for the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Rs 110.70 crore for the East MCD and Rs 118 crore for the South MCD as one time exemption for the financial year 2015-16, according to the AAP government.
“The Cabinet accepted the formula worked out by the urban development department for allocation of the Municipal Reform Fund share to the three corporations, since strictly on the basis of the recommendations of the Finance Commission two of the three corporations — North and East — do not qualify to get any allocation of the Municipal Reform Fund,” an AAP government statement said.
As per the rules, the Municipal Reform Fund can only be released by the government if civic bodies show profit and introduce reforms in their functioning. The allocation share was decided by giving 50 per cent weightage to population, 25 per cent to area and remaining 25 per cent to population density for each of the three corporations.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party is gearing up for the next year’s MCD polls. In the bypolls for 13 seats in May, the AAP made debut winning five.
The AAP has been blaming the BJP for leading the three MCDs for its financial mess. However, the BJP has been targeting the Kejriwal government for not releasing funds to the cash-strapped civic bodies required for paying salaries to the sanitation workers.
The Delhi government said on Tuesday the fund was approved so that the “employees of these corporations do not face financial hardships.”
