With rampant complaints of delayed circulation of agenda for its Board meetings, the vice-chairman of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Tuesday said agendas will now be circulated a week in advance.
Vice-Chairman Balvinder Kumar accepted that at present agendas are circulated very late as many items are finalised at the last moment. “It is correct that the agenda is being circulated too late. Many things are cleared at the last moment. Now, we are trying to see that the agenda gets circulated among all members a week before the meeting,” said Mr. Kumar.
Recently, the DDA’s non-official member on the Board, Jitender Kochar, had said agendas are delayed unnecessarily. “I always get a copy less than 24 hours before the meeting. How is one supposed to research and do homework on any of the items on the agenda? We cannot even raise questions in the meeting like this. There are such important issues like change of land use, etc. There is some vested interest in delaying agendas as certain items are inserted at the last moment for clearance and the idea is to avoid any objections.”
It is to be noted that the Lieutenant-Governor who presides over the meeting had sometime ago directed that the agenda should be given in time to all the members.
However, Mr. Kumar denied the allegation about vested interests. “There is no such thing that vested interests are delaying the agenda. There are so many items which get cleared at the last moment, hence the delay.”
The agenda is circulated among the 14 members comprising the DDA Board, which includes the L-G, the V-C, Finance Member, Engineer Member, three MLAs, two MCD councillors, a Joint Secretary from the Ministry of Urban Development, Member Secretary (Planning Board), Commissioner MCD, Chief Planner and Principal Commissioner-cum-Secretary, DDA.
