Municipal Corporation of Delhi

Municipal Corporation of Delhi दिल्ली नगर निगम
Type
Type	Local Authority of Delhi
Leadership
Mayor	Prof Rajni Abbi, BJP since April 2011
Commissioner	KS Mehra[1] since Feb 20, 2008
Leader of Opposition	Jai Kishan Sharma[2], INC
Members	272 (Divided into 3 Zones - 2 Zones with 104 members and the rest 64 in the other Zone)
Political groups	BJP INC BSP
Elections
Last election	April, 2012
Meeting place
Town Hall
Website
www.mcdonline.gov.in

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was a municipal corporation, an autonomous body that governs 8 of the 9 Districts of Delhi, in the state of Delhi, India. It was one of three municipal corporations in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the others being New Delhi Municipal Council, and Delhi Cantonment Board. "The MCD was among the largest municipal bodies in the world providing civic services to more than estimated population of 11 million citizens in the capital city.^[3] The municipal corporation covers an area of 1,397.3 km² (539.5 mi²).

Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civic Centre (28 floor)located on Minto Road, New Delhi is the head quarter of Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

"Within its jurisdiction are some of the most densely populated areas in the world. It has also the unique distinction of providing civic services to rural and urban villages, resettlement colonies, regularised unauthorised colonies, Slum/Squatter Settlements, private 'katras' etc."

"MCD came into existence on the 7th of April, 1958 under and Act of Parliament. Prior to that DMC ( Delhi Municipal Committee ) was the principal civic body of Delhi. Eminent Freedom Fighter Guru Radha Kishan has the honour to represent MCD ( initially Delhi Municipal Committee ) for most consecutive years as a Councillor. The first elected Mayor of Delhi was Aruna Asaf Ali and Lala Hansraj Gupta served as First Mayor of Delhi. Since then, the Municipal Body has always been alive in its constitution and functioning to the growing needs of citizens. The 1993 amendment of the Act brought about fundamental changes in composition, functions, governance and administration of the corporation."

MCD zones

The entire MCD area is divided into 12 zones ^[4]:

1. City

1. Karol Bagh
2. Sadar Paharganj
3. West Delhi
4. Civil Lines
5. Shahdara South
6. Shahdara North
7. Rohini
8. Narela
9. Najafgarh

^[5]

Amendment

The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments were introduced in 1992 and were meant to facilitate greater decentralization at the rural and urban level respectively. They did so through providing legal status to local assemblies and entrusting them with greater functions and powers. The inclusion of certain social categories that had historically been marginalized from policy making and implementing structures was fundamental to the project of decentralization. These social categories were the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women. While the 73rd Amendment applies to the Panchayati Raj system, the 74th Amendment applies to Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Nagar Panchayats depending on the size of the city. The 74th Amendment states:

“Not less than one – third (including the number of seats reserved for women belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) of the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in every Municipality shall be reserved for women and such seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in a Municipality.

Similarly, the 73rd Amendment mandates the reservation of seats for women at all three tiers of the Panchayati Raj system.

Demographics

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[6] Delhi Municipal Corporation (U) had a population of 9,817,439. Males constitute 55% of the population and females 45%. Delhi Municipal Corporation (U) has an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 77% and, female literacy is 67%. In Delhi Municipal Corporation (U), 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Trifurcation

Recently Delhi Municipal corporation has been trifurcated into three smaller Municipal corporations - North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, East Delhi Municipal Corporation.

• North Delhi Municipal Corporation - Districts of Central Delhi, North Delhi, North West Delhi, West Delhi
• South Delhi Municipal Corporation - Districts of South Delhi, South West Delhi (excluding Delhi Cantt)
• East Delhi Municipal Corporation - Districts of East Delhi, North East Delhi

Elections in The Delhi Municipal Corporation

The Municipal Corporation (often abbreviated as the MCD) of Delhi holds Direct Elections every five years in the State, and the latest elections were those held in the year 2012. The Election was announced by the Election Commission of India early in the year and it took place in April 2012, the results also coming the same month, in mid-2012.

The Bharatiya Janata Party of India (BJP) won the elections for a THIRD consecutive time, bashing all reports of a "Major Anti-Incumbency Vote" that disfavors its party. The party has been ruling Delhi's Municipal Corporation, for ten years in a row as of April 2012.

In 2012, Delhi got divided into 3 Zones- North, East, and South. These are the results of the elections in those three parts:

North Delhi

South Delhi

Please note that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was not able to get a majority in this zone of Delhi (South Zone) as it needed more than 50% of total votes i.e. they were 10 seats short of it. Therefore, they allied with some of the independent candidates/other parties that had a small proportion of seats to make that number by which it could rule.

East Delhi

References

External links

Delhi portal

• Official Website of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi
• List of Colonies under MCD