The Hindu 17.12.2009
Cleaning up MCD high on Sheila’s priority
Special Correspondent
| ‘In two years, water tanker mafia would be broken’ |
‘There are about 33,000 bogus employees in MCD in whose name salaries are paid’
‘To counter price rise Delhi Govt. is providing reasonably priced flour, vegetable and pulses’
NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday said cleaning up the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and removing the water tanker mafia were two things she would be focussing on in the coming days. She was speaking during the no-confidence motion in the Delhi Assembly.
Ms. Dikshit said water tariffs have been rationalised to improve supply so that people do not have to buy from the tanker mafia. “A tanker means there is water but someone is not taking pipes to every house. In two years, the supply will become efficient and the tanker mafia would be broken,” she said.
The Chief Minister said people would be required to install their own water meters from a list of those approved by the Government. While applications were to be filed by December 31, she said the scheme would be extended as it has not been very successful so far.
She also used her speech to take a dig at the BJP-ruled MCD saying things would have been much better if the civic body too had worked as per Delhi Government’s wish.
“There are about 33,000 bogus employees there in whose name salaries are paid. We are determined to clean up the MCD. Till the time the MCD is cleaned up, Delhi will not be able to shine the way it should.”
She spoke of how price rise was a national phenomenon but the Government had stepped in by providing reasonably priced flour, vegetable and pulses. She also noted that new buses had been bought by Delhi out of its own funds so far and how it had also contributed 50 per cent of the funds for the metro railway. The Chief Minister said while new roads, flyovers and metro corridors have come up, the green cover has also increased. The delivery of social welfare schemes was also being improved. In education, she said, the results have improved, three new universities, one law college and one engineering university have been opened.
As for the Commonwealth Games, Ms. Dikshit said the biggest responsibility of the Government is to make them successful. She thanked the Centre for providing over Rs.1,000 crore and said the difference was now visible. “We now see new streetlights, road being widened, new flyovers, metro being expanded and new stadia coming up. It will be a 13-day event and the participants will go away. But the infrastructure will remain with us for all times to come,” she added.
