Delhi mayor seeks details of ongoing, upcoming projects from departments

Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi has sought details of ongoing and upcoming projects of various MCD departments, including public health, sanitation and environment management, sources said on Tuesday.

Oberoi was elected as the mayor of the city on February 22 and had taken charge on the same day.

“The mayor has written to the municipal commissioner, seeking all details from various departments of the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi), about the status of ongoing works and projects, and planned projects,” an official source said.

Shortly after being elected as mayor, Oberoi had said the Aam Aadmi Party-led municipal corporation will carry out an inspection of landfill sites in the next three days and also work to deliver the party’s 10 “guarantees” promised to the people before the December 4 MCD polls.

The mayor has sought information from departments of public health, horticulture, engineering, sanitation and environment management services, and education, among others.

The departments are expected to furnish information in the coming few days, the sources said.

The development comes amid a lingering uncertainty over the election of the six members of the MCD’s Standing Committee — the highest decision-making body of the corporation.

With the mayor in office now, the remaining part of the MCD budget 2023-24 is expected to be passed by the municipal House.

The MCD House had on February 15 passed the “schedule of taxes” for the financial year 2023-24. It was passed by the special officer of the civic body.

Ahead of the mayoral poll, a senior official had said as the mayoral election is expected soon, the MCD will then also get its deliberative wing.

“The MCD hopes that by March 31, the deliberative wing led by a mayor will be in place, which will pass the remaining part of the budget,” the official had told PTI.

Oberoi won the February 22 mayoral poll by defeating BJP’s Rekha Gupta by 34 votes in what was the new municipal House’s fourth attempt to elect a mayor after its three previous meetings — January 6 and 24, and February 6 — were washed out amid acrimonious exchanges between the AAP and the BJP over voting rights to aldermen (nominated members).

Oberoi, 39, tried to strike a conciliatory note after taking charge as mayor. “We have to work together to fulfil the aspirations of people,” she had said.

“We will all work together to fulfil the 10 guarantees given by our party. The priority will be to improve schools, hospitals, parks. We will work for the beautification of Delhi and all the 250 councillors, not only from the AAP, will work towards it,” she had said.

The mountain of garbage at three landfill sites — Ghazipur, Okhla and Bhalaswa — was a key election issue with the AAP promising to clear them in a time-bound manner.

“Our councillors were working already in their respective areas, even though officially our team will start working from tomorrow. In the next three to four days we will go to inspect all the landfill sites,” she had said.

In the run-up to the MCD polls in December, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had announced 10 “guarantees” for the residents of the national capital.

Under the first guarantee, Kejriwal said Delhi’s garbage mountains would be cleared and the city beautified.

(With PTI inputs)