The Hindu : New Delhi News : Congress infighting hits development works

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 13, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Congress infighting hits development works

Staff Reporter

Finance Minister points a finger at MCD; Civic body blames Urban Development Department saying it is creating hurdles

NEW DELHI: The differences between the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, and the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president, Ram Babu Sharma, is beginning to take its toll on developmental works. The Delhi Government has charged the Municipal Corporation of Delhi with failure to effectively carry out development works under the Plan schemes.

However, the Corporation is preparing a detailed note on the status of various projects to present a factual picture to the Delhi Government as well as the Lieutenant-Governor, B.L. Joshi, to whom the matter has been referred.

The Finance Minister, A.K. Walia, had written to Mr. Joshi accusing the civic body of failure on various fronts and complaining against its callous attitude in dealing with important issues including developmental works.

The MCD Commissioner, Rakesh Mehta, said things were not as bad as they were being made out to be. He said the Plan implementation was almost 100 per cent and was no shortcoming on this front.

The matter also came up for discussion at the meeting of the MCD Standing Committee on Thursday with the Councillors demanding an explanation on the matter.

Sources in the Corporation informed that if anybody was to be blamed for the present mess or any shortfall in spending the Plan funds, it was the Urban Development Department. It has been creating obstacles in the implementing of various important works.

They said the Corporation would give a point-by-point reply to the issues raised by Dr. Walia and present its case before the Lieutenant-Governor. It was felt the latest confrontation was the outcome of the feud within the Congress party as by hitting out at the civic body, the Government was trying to target Mr. Ram Babu Sharma.

It is learnt the MCD Commissioner has also convened an important meeting on May 16 to discuss the matter and has asked all the concerned officers to come up with facts about the implementation of the various schemes in their areas. It was pointed out that last year's implementation of the Plan was 100 per cent and there was no reason for the Delhi Government to complain.

Even the Congress legislators have appreciated the work done by the Corporation in their areas. If there was any shortfall it was due to the changing of the norms by the Urban Development Department which had asked all the MLAs to first route their projects through it before asking the MCD to work on them.

Interestingly sources said that while making a hue and cry about the failure to utilise funds, the Delhi Government was yet to release Rs. 190 crores due to the Corporation from the first instalment of funds.

With the first quarter half way through, the failure to release funds on time is badly affecting the pace of implementation of development works. The Corporation has sent a number of reminders to the Delhi Government and particularly the Finance Department for release of funds but nothing has come of it.

The latest reminders were sent on May 6, 7 and 10 but there has been no reply from the Delhi Government.

"It is wrong to blame us for something we have not done. Political fights should not be dragged into developmental works and the administration," a senior official remarked.

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