Civic agency short on funds

The cash-strapped Municipal Corporation of Delhi has said that several of its projects were pending because it did not have any funds.

The cash-strapped Municipal Corporation of Delhi has said that several of its projects were pending because it did not have any funds.

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The civic agency gets money from the Delhi government every year to be spent on various infrastructure projects, education, and maintenance.

"We want to start many of our schemes but we do not have the money for it. There are a number of buildings that are dilapidated; we want to construct new ones but we cannot do it without the funds.

Many of our students are forced to study in makeshift tents. We try to do as much as possible, but even we are helpless," said Mahender Nagpal, chairman of education committee of the MCD.

The shortage of money has delayed several road projects as well. Colony roads and those on city outskirts are in need of immediate repair but because of the money situation, these too were pending.

"Due to incessant rains, large chunks of roads were damaged. We have started the repair work but that is a temporary solution. At many places, we need to do dense recarpeting which is capital intensive," said a senior MCD official.