The Constitution has enshrined 'special status' on New Delhi, making it both a Union Territory and the Capital. Much like its other aspects, the city’s administrative nature is unique too.
Governed by an elected State government and a Centre-appointed Lieutenant-Governor, the tug of war over administrative control recently found its way to the court. Apart from this, there are three municipal corporations that report directly to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The multiplicity of agencies and departments, which often leaves the average Delhiite puzzled, sees the quality of services being hit. Besides, these agencies often end up contradicting each other, especially when it comes to maintenance of roads and drainage.
Here’s a look at the agencies/departments that run the show in the city:
Land and city planning
Delhi Development Authority (DDA)
The agency decides allocation and use of land
Since it reports to the Union Urban Development Ministry, land in the Capital does not come under the purview of the State government
The State government has to request the DDA to allocate land for social infrastructure
The agency prepares the Master Plan for Delhi
Many schools, for instance, are built on DDA land. Among these are: Amity International School (Saket) and Salwan Public School (Mayur Vihar)
Indian Railways
Responsible for areas around tracks and railway quarters
Defence forces
Look after areas like Delhi Cantt, Shankar Vihar
The Land and Development Office (L&DO)
It works as a subordinate office of the Ministry of Urban Development.
It is responsible for the administration of landed estates of the Government of India — like the Rashtrapati Bhavan, North and South Block — including lease, sale, mortgage, substitution, mutation, etc.
Law and order
The Delhi Police
Along with the traffic police, it functions under a commissionerate system.
The administrative control lies with the Ministry of Home Affairs, which exercises its power through the Lieutenant-Governor
84,000 – Total strength of the Delhi Police
13 – Number of police districts
180 – Number of police stations
Roads
As many six agencies are responsible for maintaining the Capital’s ever-expanding road network. Among these are:
Public Works Department (PWD)
It reports to the Delhi government
It maintains arterial roads that are more than 60-feet wide
These include Ring Road, among many others
The three municipal corporations (EDMC, SDMC, North DMC)
They report to the MHA
They look after roads in residential areas that are less than 60-feet in width
These include parts of Lakshmi Nagar, Mayur Vihar, among others
New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC)
It reports to the MHA
Includes roads like APJ Abdul Kalam Marg, Ashoka Road
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
It reports to the Central government
Maintains roads like NH-8, NH-24
Delhi Cantonment Board
It reports to the Ministry of Defence
Maintains Delhi Cantt
Delhi State Industrial And Infrastructure Development (DSIIDC)
It reports to the Delhi government
Responsible for industrial estates like Okhla, Narela, Bawana, among others
Delhi Development Authority (DDA)
Responsible for roads in areas like Dwarka
Total road network in Delhi (2015-16): 33,868 lane km
PWD: 1,280 km
SDMC: 9,408 km
EDMC: 270 km
North DMC: 3,118 km
NDMC: 1,290 km
National highways: 430 km
DSIIDC: 1,434 km
DDA: 435 km
Other roads: 6,308 km
Water and drainage
Delhiites are no stranger to the water logging that clogs the city during the monsoon each year. The civic agencies indulge in mud-slinging in an attempt to escape accountability even as life is thrown out of gear.
Delhi Jal Board (DJB)
Maintains water supply and sewer lines in the city
The three civic bodies (EDMC, SDMC, North DMC)
Looks after storm water drains less than 4 feet in depth
Public Works Department (PWD)
Responsible for storm water drains along PWD roads and those more than 60 feet in width
Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department
Maintains storm water drains with a capacity of more than 1,000 cusecs
Number of drains maintained by each agency:
I&FC Department: 201
North DMC: 186
EDMC: 227
SDMC: 265
Education
School education is divided between the three municipal corporations and the Delhi government:
Municipal corporations
Responsible for pre-primary/primary education
They have 1,775 schools under them
Directorate of Education (DoE)
It functions under the Delhi government
Schools under the DoE offer secondary education
It manages 1,222 government and government-aided schools.
Healthcare
The Health and Family Welfare Department of the Delhi government
It has 38 hospitals, like Lok Nayak Hospital, under it
It caters to nearly 160 lakh people in the Capital.
It also serves the migratory and floating population, which includes people from neighbouring States and constitute nearly 33% of the patients
The municipal corporations
Offer both primary and advanced healthcare
Include major hospitals like Hindu Rao Hospital, Rajan Babu Tuberculosis Hospital, Kasturba Gandhi Hospital, Girdhari LalHospital, Infectious Diseases Hospital and Swami Dayanand Hospital.
Facilities at these hospitals have suffered because of the civic bodies facing a cash crunch
Central government
Includes super-speciality hospitals like AIIMS, Safdarjung and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
