With the proposals of various administrative committees failing to evoke the desired results, the Delhi Cabinet on Monday constituted a political committee on reorganisation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
The committee would be chaired by Delhi Finance Minister A. K. Walia and comprise two senior BJP leaders, V.K. Malhotra and Jagdish Mukhi, besides Delhi Ministers Raj Kumar Chauhan and Arvinder Singh Lovely.
``We are generally of the opinion that the MCD needs to be divided into at least three parts – comprising eastern, central and outer Delhi – to ensure proper administration,’’ said Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.
She said the committee would go through various reports already made on the MCD restructuring and give its proposals. She said with both the Congress and the BJP now having arrived on the conclusion that the civic body needs to be restructured and streamlined, the ball has been set into motion.
Ms. Dikshit said the committee will look into the entire gambit of the functioning of the MCD and recommend a set of feasible steps to overcome the problems coming in the way of proper delivery of services by the civic body, financial mismanagement therein and other obstacles arising due to its huge jurisdictional area.
The committee is expected to study all recommendations of earlier committees constituted by the Union Government in this regard.
Ms. Dikshit expressed confidence that the committee will consider all aspects in depth and come out with suitable recommendations. She also expressed hope that the panel will be able to deliberate issues with an open mind and constructive approach keeping in view the interests of the common man.
In another decision, the Delhi Cabinet has also approved the revised estimate for construction of an automated car parking system for the Delhi High Court where parking space across six levels for 1,550 cars is being constructed by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. As per the revised estimate, a sum of Rs.182.71 crore would be spent on the project as against the earlier estimate of Rs.125 crore due to cost escalation and inclusion of the five year maintenance contract.
