LG seeks roadmap to end civic misery

REPORT Anil Baijal asks chief secretary to trace the genesis of the problem, suggest ways to find a solution to financial crunch

NEW DELHI: Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on Wednesday directed chief secretary MM Kutty to come up with a detailed roadmap to end the financial crisis plaguing the city’s civic bodies, especially the north and east municipal corporations.

Even as parts of the city continued to stink due to the strike by east corporation employees, sources said Baijal held a marathon meeting with the chief secretary and directed him to come up with a ‘detailed’ roadmap.

The chief secretary in turn held a meeting with concerned officials at the Delhi Secretariat.

“The L-G has given a clear outline to prepare the plan. It includes tracing the problem to implementation of trifurcation, the recommendations of the different finance commissions besides the fiscal health of the MCDs and the funds sanctioned by Delhi government for the civic bodies,” a senior official said.

Sources said the chief secretary has put on job the urban development and finance department to study the details and prepare the report, which is likely to be presented to L-G in the next one-two days, sources said.

Even as EDMC officials said more than half of their staff resumed work on Wednesday, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation also released the salary of group A and B employees for November.

“We started transferring them money after clearing the payment of employees in Group C and D categories... Now we need ₹75 crore for distributing the pending salaries of Group A and B employees,” said Pankaj Singh, chief finance officer, North MCD.

The corporation received the final instalment of global share

worth ₹230 crore from Delhi government on Tuesday.

Wading into the tug-of-war between the AAP government and the BJP-ruled civic bodies over disbursal of ‘adequate’ funds, the south corporation on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution slamming the city government for withholding the dues of the corporation.

SDMC standing committee blamed the AAP government for not releasing pending funds as per the suggestions of Delhi Third Finance Commission.

It asked the central government to dissolve the state government for functioning in an unconstitutional manner.

“AAP-led government is blaming us for mismanagement in funds but we are arranging mega projects such as replacement of LED lights, without any financial burden on MCD or state government,” said standing committee chairman Shailendra Singh.