The cash-strapped municipal corporations of Delhi got another bit of bad news on Wednesday, with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari telling a gathering of mayors from across India here that civic bodies should fend for themselves financially.
He added that the Centre did not have the resources required for all municipalities to carry out their development and welfare work. “So, we need to think about how to serve the people best without spending too much money. That is possible through innovative projects,” said the Minister.
Mr. Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, was addressing the 47{+t}{+h}annual All-India Council of Mayors at the Civic Centre here when he said municipalities should be self-sufficient. He asked the 40 mayors from across India to come up with innovative revenue generation projects like biogas plants, waste-to-energy facilities and sewage treatment plants.
Among the audience listening to Mr. Gadkari’s speech were the Mayors of Delhi’s three BJP-ruled municipalities. The civic bodies have been accusing the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi Government of cutting their funding and delaying payments. Taking cue from Mr. Gadkari’s suggestion of using the helipads at Civic Centre to raise funds, North Delhi Municipal Corporation Standing Committee chairperson Mohan Bhardwaj said the civic body was mulling the proposal.
