Set up a system to inspect city’s ‘collapsing infra’: LG

In his order, the LG said that this monsoon, the city has recorded a “complete collapse of civic infrastructure”

Lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Monday issued directions for the setting up of an institutional mechanism for field inspections of Delhi’s civic infrastructure by top bureaucrats, and sought periodic reports with geo-tagged pictures and corrective measures.

The LG’s order added that henceforth, all head of departments, secretaries, principal secretaries and additional chief secretaries shall draw up to schedule of field inspections. (Ajay Aggarwal/HT Photo)

Saxena’s decision came in wake of the Capital recording more than 30 deaths due to rain-related incidents this monsoon season, with fatalities attributed to electrocutions, drownings, and structural collapses, among others.

In his order, the LG said that this monsoon, the city has recorded a “complete collapse of civic infrastructure”, leading to “unfortunate and avoidable deaths of citizens”, and blamed the fatalities on “endemic neglect” by the state government and civic agencies.

“Drains have not been desilted for years. Sewer lines are choked leading to flooding even in planned colonies. LG believes that this points to a complete absence of senior management oversight. LG has advised that an institutional mechanism be put in place for scheduled inspection of senior officers to facilities under their charge. It would help them obtain a first-hand feel of the core problems being faced by citizens and take corrective policy regulatory measures,” an order issued by Ashish Kundra, the principal secretary to Saxena, said.

The LG’s order added that henceforth, all head of departments, secretaries, principal secretaries and additional chief secretaries shall draw up to schedule of field inspections. The frequency of inspections has been fixed at fortnightly for secretaries and the principal secretaries, and weekly for HODs.

“The inspection note of principal secretary of the department shall be submitted to the chief secretary, LG secretariat, and the minister in-charge with summarizing core problem and corrective measures invoked. Report should be annexed with geo tagged pictures of before and after the intervention,” the LG’s order added.

Secretaries of departments have been ordered to review the institutional mechanism prescribed under central and state Acts. “Formulations of any rules and boards under these laws should be taken up in three weeks,” the order said.

Similarly, at the district level, a parallel inspection mechanism has been directed to be formed under district magistrates (DMs), where DMs and SDMs (sub-divisional magistrate) should take inspections twice a week. “DMs should interact with RWAs in their jurisdiction once a month to find out the issues faced and resolve it by taking it up with concerned department. Chief secretary shall circulate a uniform format of inspection report to all departments and submit monthly report on inspections,” the order stated.

In an official statement, the AAP said that the LG’s “favourite officers” had “knowingly contributed to mis-governance and corruption in desilting contracts”.

“The LG has yet not taken any action against the CS (chief secretary) or any of the HODs who failed in their duties… If LG was really serious about desilting, he should have taken action against the officers,” the statement said.

The chief secretary did not comment on the AAP’s allegations.