Development projects hit by crippling financial crunch

It is not just sanitation services that have been hit due to the crippling financial crunch in the municipal corporations, leading to frequent strikes by workers

It is not just sanitation services that have been hit due to the crippling financial crunch in the municipal corporations, leading to frequent strikes by workers.

An East Delhi Municipal Corporation worker burns garbage in Gandhi Nagar on Thursday. The East Delhi Municipal Corporation, which is the worst hit, has failed to conceive any big project for several years. (Raj K Raj/ Ht photo)

The crisis has also hampered the ongoing as well as planned projects. The cash crunch has forced the civic agencies to adopt austerity measures to cut down expenses.

Read I MCDs says salary liability has risen, govt says funds doubled

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation, which is the worst hit, has failed to conceive any big project for several years. The body had bought land worth ₹30 crore at the CBD ground, Shahdra, for the construction of its new headquarters. The project is pending for over an year.

Another major project held for four years is the revival of Shahdara lake. EDMC had spent Rs 4 crore for reviving the lake and filling it with treated water from a neighbouring drain in 2012.

The North Delhi municipal body had to merge Rajan Babu Institute for Pulmonary Medicines and Tuberculosis (RBIPMT) and Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Disease Hospital (MVIDH). Around 450 posts were also abolished after the merger of the two hospitals.

Construction of the Rani Jhasi Flyover, which is on since 2009, has further slowed down due to shortage of funds. Also, projects taken up from ‘discretionary funds’ in north Delhi localities such as carpeting of roads, repairing drains, parks beautification have not been done for the past three years. The civic body owes R480 crore to the contractors.

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