A day after the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that “some powers” of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have been delegated to the Government of National Capital Territory Delhi (GNCTD), confusion continued to prevail.

While the Ministry, in a written communiqué to The Indian Express clarified that certain powers had been transferred to the state government (“certain powers of the Central government under the DMC Act have been delegated to the GNCTD”), and that “no powers had been given to the L-G,” highly placed sources in the MCD and Raj Niwas said according to the provisions of the DMC Act, the term GNCTD refers to the Lieutenant-Governor.

“According to the DMC Act, GNCTD means the L-G and hence, unless the Ministry issues further clarification saying that the powers have been delegated to the Chief Minister, it is assumed otherwise,” the MCD official said.

“It is correct that according to the DMC Act, the term GNCTD refers to the L-G, unless further notified,” the Raj Niwas official said.

Onkar Kedia, Additional DG (media) of Ministry of Home Affairs, however, told Newsline that the Corporation’s powers have been delegated to the Chief Minister and not the L-G and henceforth, the CM would have a direct say in certain matters of the Corporation.

According to the Ministry, the list of delegated powers includes the power to alter the name, increase or diminish the area of any zone; fixation of salary etc. of the Commissioner, general superintendence, direction and control over the duties of the Commissioner; sanction the improvement schemes approved by the Corporation, power to approve regulations and the power to dissolve the Corporation among others.

... contd.