Delhi’s Finance Minister Atishi and Mayor Shelly Oberoi Request Funds for MCD Amidst Funding Issues
Raja Iqbal Singh, the leader of opposition in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), expressed shock over Delhi’s Finance Minister Atishi and Mayor Dr. Shelly Oberoi’s demand for special funds from the central government. Singh pointed out that the Delhi government continues to withhold constitutional funds from the MCD.
On Saturday, Mayor Shelly Oberoi requested Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to allocate Rs 10,000 crores to the MCD for the city’s development and maintenance. Singh criticized this move, stating that the MCD should be receiving funds based on the 7th Delhi Finance Commission’s (DFC) recommendations, but it is still operating on the 5th DFC’s guidelines from 2016-17.
Singh further mentioned that the Delhi government owes the MCD over Rs 20,000 crores in arrears since 2015-16, as per the 4th DFC’s recommendations. He accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of political bias and failing to provide proper funds to the MCD, leading to the collapse of primary sanitation, education, and health services.
Singh demanded that the Delhi government immediately constitute the 6th Delhi Finance Commission and release all arrears due to the MCD, which amount to over Rs 20,000 crores as of March 2022.
Doubts Revealed
Finance Minister -: A Finance Minister is a person in the government who is responsible for managing the money and finances of a state or country. In this case, Atishi is the Finance Minister of Delhi.
Mayor -: A Mayor is the leader of a city or town’s government. Shelly Oberoi is the Mayor of Delhi, which means she helps make decisions for the city.
MCD -: MCD stands for Municipal Corporation of Delhi. It is the organization that takes care of local services like cleaning streets, collecting garbage, and maintaining parks in Delhi.
Central government -: The central government is the main government of a country. In India, it is the government that operates from New Delhi and makes decisions for the entire country.
7th Delhi Finance Commission -: The 7th Delhi Finance Commission is a group that makes recommendations on how money should be shared between the Delhi government and local bodies like the MCD.
5th DFC -: The 5th DFC refers to the 5th Delhi Finance Commission, which is an older group that made recommendations on money sharing before the 7th DFC.
Arrears -: Arrears are amounts of money that are owed and should have been paid earlier. In this case, the Delhi government owes the MCD over Rs 20,000 crores since 2015-16.
