Info boards in just 8 of 272 MCD wards

A month after the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) directed MCD to install — in each of its 272 wards — boards informing people how money under the MP Local Area Development (LAD) Scheme and MLA LAD Scheme is spent, only eight wards have complied. Nivedita Khandekar reports.

A month after the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) directed MCD to install — in each of its 272 wards — boards informing people how money under the MP Local Area Development (LAD) Scheme and MLA LAD Scheme is spent, only eight wards have complied.

HT Image

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi government have now sought more time to complete the task in other wards.

Anjali Bhardwaj and 317 other citizens of the Satark Nagarik Sangathan had argued that details of funds with councillors and elected members of the state assembly should be available suo motu to the public.

Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi had, in February, directed Delhi’s chief secretary and the MCD commissioner to put up boards in a prescribed format in every ward in the Capital.

The MCD claimed that such boards had been installed in eight wards in Yamuna Vihar area of Shahdara.

For others, Ram Prakash, MCD chief engineer (quality control) wrote to Gandhi, asking for an extension. “It appears that the magnitude of the work involved is greater and will take time to implement in right earnest,” said Prakash.

The Delhi government, too, said, “It is very difficult to complete such (a) huge task in (a) short time. The procedure is time-consuming and finalisation of tender and other formalities will take time.”

Meanwhile, SKS Yadav, additional secretary, urban development department, has claimed in his letter to Gandhi, “The department has identified 70 circle offices of the Food and Supplies Department to erect boards with full information, as directed by the CIC.”

Bhardwaj, however, disagreed with the choice of the circle office for putting up boards.

“We have already drawn Gandhi’s attention to this. The boards need to be in public places where maximum (number of) people from the area would visit. How many people from elite colonies visit the circle office?”

The CIC has granted an extension till May 25 to both MCD and the Delhi government. It has also asked for a compliance report and photographs of the boards in every area.