NDMC urges employees to follow spirit of ‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has drafted a set of “10 commandments” for its employees, urging them to prioritise citizens and avoid intentional delays in public service delivery and corruption.

The commandments, which will be displayed prominently across NDMC offices, include pledges such as “I serve the citizen”, “I will be honest even when nobody is watching”, “I will not deliberately delay work” and “I will take ownership rather than saying ‘this is not my work'”.

In a September 30 circular, NDMC chairperson Manoj Kumar Dwivedi asked employees to follow the spirit of “Nagrik Devo Bhava” (citizen is God) and adhere to an 18-point code of conduct aimed at improving transparency, accountability and public service delivery.

The code directs employees not to accept bribes or commissions, deliberately delay files or payments, or allow personal interests to influence official decisions.

“Decisions related to tenders, contracts, recruitment and regulatory enforcement have to be based on prescribed rules and not personal connections, external pressure or political affiliations,” officials said.

The civic body has also stressed the need for a citizen-friendly approach, directing employees to handle grievances politely and not force people to rely on personal contacts for basic services. Officials receiving queries outside their jurisdiction have been asked to guide citizens to the appropriate department rather than turning them away. The circular also lays down workplace conduct rules, prohibiting bullying, sexual harassment, abusive language and discrimination.

Employees have been asked to treat public money and municipal assets responsibly, with directions against inflated estimates, unnecessary expenditure and misuse of official vehicles or infrastructure.

Department heads have been cautioned against issuing illegal oral directions to subordinates. The circular encourages employees to report fraud and safety risks through official vigilance channels.

Employees have also been directed to protect confidential information and ensure their personal social media activity does not interfere with official duties. Dwivedi said maintaining clean, quality public spaces is the collective responsibility of all NDMC employees, not limited to sanitation or engineering departments.

“All employees are called upon to honour these commitments through their actions each day, ensuring that every decision and interaction reflects the true spirit of ‘Jan Sewa’ (public service),” he said.