Delhi-Demand For Statehood | By Dr. Mahipal Singh Rathore

Table of Contents

Delhi is officially the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT)
It is also a city and a union territory of In dia
The entire NCT region is divided into 11 districts
Delhi city is divided in 5 local municipal corporations:
1. North Delhi Municipal Corporations
2. South Delhi Municipal Corporations
3. East Delhi Municipal Corporations
4. New Delhi Municipal Council
5. Delhi Cantonment Board
300 villages
The National Capital Region (NCR) is a coordinated planning region centred upon the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) in India.
It encompasses the entire NCT of Delhi + 24 districts surrounding it from the states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan

Up to 1956 – Delhi was a Part-C State
1956 – made a Union Territory under the direct administration of the President. Legislative Assembly and the Council of Ministers were abolished.
The L.A. was re-established in 1993 after passage of NCT Act of 1991
The Government of India and the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi jointly administer Delhi
NCT of Delhi has its own Legislative Assembly, Lieutenant Governor, council of ministers and Chief Minister.
Members of the legislative assembly are directly elected from territorial constituencies in the NCT.

The NCT Act 1991

69TH Constitutional Amendment act
Quasi-state status
Special status among the UT’s
Prior sanction of the Central government for introducing any bill in the Delhi assembly under Section 44 of the NCT Act
This structure of governance for Delhi has caused several altercations between the AAP-led Delhi government and the Centre-appointed LG

Why is AAP asking for full statehood?

• The govt of NCT of Delhi has no jurisdiction over Delhi police Delhi Development Authority (DDA) MCD
• The AAP government claims that its lack of control over these three hinders its ability to efficiently plan Delhi’s development and inhibits its influence on decisions regarding the security of its electorate.
• Also, the multiplicity of agencies makes it complex for citizens to hold the government accountable.

The multiplicity of governance in Delhi

 Union Govt – L.G. , Police , DDA (land use and development)
 State Govt – Water, electricity, transport, Health, Education
 Local Govt – Municipal corporations

What does the AAP say?

The lack of full statehood has created problems in
• Appointing the Jan Lokpal
• Installing CCTV cameras across the capital
• Regularising unauthorised colonies
• Undertaking other projects.
• Regularising Delhi Metro fares
• Regularising guest teachers and contractual staff

1990s and 2000’s – BJP leaders strongly demanded full statehood
2016 proposal –
Keep NDMC under Union Govt.
Appoint Governor (remove LG)
special cadre of officers for Delhi 2018- The Aam Aadmi Party government moved a resolution in Delhi Assembly for immediate grant of full statehood to Delhi.

Global examples

• Union/Federal control – Washington DC enjoys much less autonomy than the Delhi
Mexico City is also a federal district.
• Control by Local govt (city states) – Brussels (Belgium) Berlin (Germany)
*London – Police under the Mayor

Reasons in FAVOUR of granting full statehood

• A large population – 2 crore
• Size of the Economy
• Police accountability
• Efficiency in governance
• Income for NCT govt through land revenues

Why full statehood should NOT be granted?

• The seat of Govt of India is in New Delhi
• Offices of Union Govt
• No federal govt completely devolves power to its capital
• Location of Embassies and
• Land use issues for Union govt.
• The burden of financing large infrastructural projects and the police would fall on NCT govt – increased tax burden on the people of Delhi.

What can be the way forward?

POLICE –
• The New Delhi Municipal Corporation area – under Centre-controlled police force.
• The Delhi police should be given to govt of NCT so that the state government gets the authority and is also accountable for controlling crime.
LAND –
• Although the demand for control over police and MCD is justified, if Delhi becomes a full state, the DDA would become defunct in the state’s territory because under the 74th constitutional amendment, land use and urban planning is a mandate of the local government
Accountability –
• Granting full statehood to Delhi would ensure that all agencies presently under Union control are answerable to the NCT govt and through them become directly accountable to people of Delhi.
• Coordination is likely to improve and the constant blame game between Union and the state
government would stop.