MCD and SEC to start ward delimitation exercise from Monday

NEW DELHI: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and State Election Commission (SEC) are to commence ward delimitation exercise in the National Capital Territory of Delhi from Monday, July 18.

The delimitation committee is awaiting the gazette notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. However, as per the sources, the MCD, in the past has deployed its staff for the exercise.

The Ministry has formed a three-member delimitation committee chaired by the State Election Commissioner Vijay Dev. The committee is supposed to submit its report on the exercise within the next four months immediately following its constitution. But the committee is yet to begin the exercise since they are waiting for the gazette notification.

The central government has amended the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act 1957, under which the number of councillor seats will be reduced to 250 from the existing 272.

Earlier, the local bodies election was to be held in April. However, S K Srivastava, the then State Election Commissioner, postponed the election on March 8, just before the government announced the merger of the erstwhile North Delhi Municipal Corporation, East Delhi Municipal Corporation and South Delhi Municipal Corporation.