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Delhi LG nod gives MCD chief power over projects exceeding

Lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Monday approved a proposal to increase the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner’s power to take financial decisions with regards to some specific solid waste management-related projects that exceed a cost of ₹5 crore.
As of now, all financial decisions that exceed ₹5 crore can only be taken by the MCD standing committee, elections for which have been pending for over a year.
Officials from the LG office said the order granting the authority to the MCD commissioner came after the LG office sent at least two reminders to the Delhi government over the last four months to clear the file.
The Delhi government, however, said urban development minister Saurabh Bharadwaj received the proposal in September and approved it the same day.
In April, Saxena wrote to the Delhi government, asking it to delegate financial powers to the MCD commissioner. Later, on July 10, MCD also wrote to the Delhi government, proposing that it should delegate financial powers to the corporation as per provisions under section 202 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act, 1957.
Officials from the LG office said MCD moved the file again in September, and this time, the LG office also sought an update on this file around the same time.
“The UD minister had inordinately and without any explanation kept the file pending at his level, in the process severely affecting municipal services due to lack of financial sanction, since the standing committee was not in place. Thereafter, the LG secretariat recalled the file on two occasions invoking Rule 19(5) of ToBR. However, the file has still not been sent by the minister and remains untraceable,” officials from the LG office said.
Hitting back, Delhi government officials said the file was received on September 6, and was approved by Bhardwaj on the same day.
“LG office should stop the malicious propaganda of lies and deceit. LG should explain why this file was not processed even after approval of the minister. Will LG take action against the officers who delayed this file?” Delhi government officials said.

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