‘My Delhi, I Care’ but MCD doesn’t? CM invokes LG

Delhi government has taken up with the Lt Governor the issue of unspent funds under 'My Delhi I Care'. The move has come after several Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) complained the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has not bothered to complete the job for which the fund was allotted, reports Nivedita Khandekar.

Delhi government has taken up with the Lt Governor the issue of unspent funds under 'My Delhi I Care'. The move has come after several Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) complained the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has not bothered to complete the job for which the fund was allotted.

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The Delhi government has been allotting funds to the MCD under 'My Delhi I Care Fund' scheme involving people in the development of their areas.

For instance, a public toilet and a bathroom are to be built on the outside of a water reservoir in Old Rajinder Nagar.

Said SP Gupta, general secretary of the Rajinder Nagar Welfare Association, "It is almost three years that the Delhi government has allotted funds for it. But the MCD has not done anything despite repeated requests."

This is not a lone RWA.

As reported by Hindustan Times two weeks ago, the Core Committee for the 'My Delhi I Care' fund has, over last few months, received a steady stream of complaints about works kept pending by MCD.

These include projects not just pending since 2008-09 but also the ones pending since 2007-08 and 2006-07.

Agreeing that the government has indeed received several complaints from the RWAs, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said, "Waliaji (Finance Minister AK Walia) himself monitors these

cases. But the MCD does not do anything."

"MCD does not allow interference in their areas. I have now taken up the issue with the Lt Governor and requested him to call a meeting (with the MCD) and to review the situation," Dikshit told Hindustan Times.

But Delhi Citizens' Forum chairman Dr MK Mohanty had a different take.

"We feel the Chief Minister's office is mainly responsible for the wastage of 'My Delhi I Care' funds since the last three years … (because) … authorities in-charge are openly discouraging the proper implementation of this fund and also the involvement of the RWAs," he said.

Meanwhile, MCD Director (Press and Information) Deep Mathur said, "We are collecting information (about pending works) and are in the process of expediting them.”