New Delhi, March 22 : The on Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a proposal to merge the three m cipal bodies in Delhi. Informed sources said the government would bring an amendment bill to fy the three m cipalities in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament. The decision was taken in order to strengthen the management and finances of the South Delhi M cipal Corporation (SDMC), the North Delhi M cipal Corporation (NDMC) and the East Delhi M cipal Corporation (EDMC), the sources said. The Congress government in 2011 had trifurcated the m cipal corporation by passing the Delhi M cipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill. “The trifurcation of the corporation was uneven in terms of the territorial divisions and revenue generating potential of each corporation. As a result, there was a huge gap in the resources available to the three corporations as against their obligations,” said the official source. “The gap has widened over a period of time adding to the financial woes of the three corporations. As a result there is delay in payment of salaries and retirement benefits to the employees,” he added. The decision to merge the three civic bodies into one has come nearly a fortnight after the State Election Commission deferred the announcement for m cipal polls, drawing sharp reactions from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has since moved the Supreme Court. All three MCDs are currently ruled by the BJP but the AAP is hopeful of snatching them in the upcoming polls. NK MR