Civic agency to form residents’ ward panels

To encourage people’s participation in civic decision-making, the MCD has decided to form residents’ ward committees across the city.

To encourage people’s participation in civic decision-making, the MCD has decided to form residents’ ward committees across the city.

HT Image

These committees will act as consultative bodies for carrying out local-level development work in the city. The scheme was launched by the mayor on Thursday.

“The councillor of the ward will chair these committees. The residents’ ward committees (RWCs) will comprise one representative each from resident welfare associations within a municipal ward, apart from the area junior engineer (works), sanitary inspector and section officer (horticulture),” said mayor Prithvi Raj Sawhney.

Sawhney said these panels will help bring the civic agency closer to the people. “Even currently the councillors do involve residents while carrying out development work. But the committees will institutionalise the system,” he added.

The panels, which will meet once a month, will give suggestions on development plans and help prioritise their needs.

The committees will be empowered to give suggestions on various works in the areas costing up to R30 lakh. “This will ensure that people are happy with the way funds are being spent,” said leader of MCD House Subhash Arya.

When asked whether the move was made keeping in mind the MCD polls in 2012, Arya dismissed the suggestion.

The MCD has signed an MoU with citizens’ group ‘People's Action’ to aid the project and persuade councillors to form the panels at the earliest. The MCD said the group has been lobbying for RWC system since 2007 after a resolution in this regard was passed at the Delhi RWA Convention.