The Congress today came out with a blueprint to restructure the three cash-strapped civic bodies and said these would be made "financially self-reliant" if it manages to wrest power from the BJP in the municipal polls.
The draft plan was unveiled by former Finance Minister P Chidamabaram and Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia here, as the party is eyeing a comeback in the civic elections after severe drubbing in the last Delhi Assembly elections in which it drew a blank.
"Delhi is a metropolitan city, a megalopolis. And administering a city of this scale is not the same as managing any other city. We must first accept that it's a different league.
"Having said that... People derive great hopes from municipal corporations and I think the jury is still out on it (MCD). Each of the three municipal corporations run by one party, are racing to the bottom. Each one competing with the other to be the worst municipality," Chidamabaram said.
The former Union minister then quoted from the draft blueprint to buttress his point.
"So, if we look at the arrears to sanitation workers, the EDMC has to give Rs 461.83 crore. Then the SDMC says, I am better with Rs 547.30 crore and then the NDMC decided to be the 'best' saying, the arrears stand at Rs 550 crore. It's a race to hit the bottom first," he alleged.
The draft blueprint also envisages a Rs 2,000 crore annual fund for development of infrastructure-deficit areas, particularly the unauthorised colonies.
The former finance minister said unlike other big corporations, which generate more than 50 per cent of the revenue from property tax collection, the MCD is doing just about 40 per cent.
"Both tax and non-tax revenue collection in Delhi are unfortunately, far below par. Non-tax revenue through areas like advertising and parking can definitely be boosted and the draft proposes that as well.
"Delhi is a flourishing city, per capita income is the highest, Chandigarh is close, which means people have aspirations to live a life of dignity. And people will pay if they have faith that the money will be spent wisely," he said.
Chidambaram emphasised that the draft has been worked out by experienced administrators, specialists and economists and experts and urban planners.
Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said the plan would be in public domain through the party's Facebook page where people can offer suggestions for the next 10 days.
"I invite experts and layman, both to be part of this exercise as we plan to radically restructure Delhi (MCD). Ultimately the plan must be something the people must adopt and accept... And, in 10 years through this plan, we will make Delhi a world-class city," Chidambaram said.
Alleging that three civic bodies were left with a "blank balance instead of a bank balance", Scindia said, the "poor administration by the MCD is not just a matter of concern for Delhi, but all citizens of the country.
Chidambaram emphasised that great cities like Tokyo, New York, London, Shanghai, Beijing have recognised the vital difference between managing and administering a megalopolis and any other large city.
"Driving a bullock-cart is not the same as flying a plane. And, job of pilot is not the same as being an astronaut," he said.
"So, for a city like Delhi, our approach to municipal administration cannot be to just to elect a few well-meaning, well-merited people and have the same tired bureaucracy, and hope Delhi would be a great city," he said.
AICC Delhi In-charge P C Chacko, Sharmistha Mukherjee and the Congress' leaders of opposition in the three corporation, were also present on the occasion.
The show of strength comes ahead of the municipal polls in which AAP is making its debut while BJP seeks to retain its turf.
The erstwhile unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was trifurcated in 2012 into North, South and East Delhi Municipal Corporations. BJP has been ruling the MCD for the last 10 years.
Chidambaram further said "Is it not surprising that municipal corporations accounts have not been accounted for many years".
"Also, MCD has allocated Rs 8,000 per resident while Mumbai's civic body has allocated Rs 23,000 per resident," he said, adding, MCD has the highest number of a staff in proportion to its population, three times the number of staff in Bengaluru, which ranks higher than Delhi in civic administration.
"On per capita basis, MCD generates less revenue compared to small municipal corporations like in Pune or Hyderabad," he said.
In his address, Scindia said, "We need to bring in greater transparency and accountability in the MCD and a rating system should be employed, so that financial institutions can fund these bodies, when needed."
"In a city with a population of nearly two crore, it is important that growth should mean for all people. We cannot have an island of prosperity, we have seas of prosperity and growth," he said.
Attacking MCD, he said, "The civic bodies contributing not even 1 per cent of the GDP was a matter of concern. So, is the issue of potholes in roads, poor sanitation condition and vector-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya that the city residents suffer from ever year."
The MP from Guna constituency also proposed issuing of municipal bonds to augment the financial condition of the MCD.
Chidambaram, recalling his experiences, said, "Delhi was the best city in India, when I came here, it is not so now".
"I think its (blueprint) a great beginning and it will ultimately fructify into a plan that people would take pride in and elect a government in the MCD to implement this plan. Delhi can be made a great city again," the former finance minister said.
