Along the lines of district rural development agency, the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal for setting up District Urban Development Authority (DUDA) to execute developmental works under Swaraj funds and MlA local Area Development (MlAlAD) scheme.
The DUDA will also maintain an asset register for all the development works executed under the MlAlAD. This agency will open a separate bank account of each MlA. The municipal bodies had objected to the proposal saying that it would not be just and proper to allow any other agency for execution of works that come under their jurisdiction.
According to a Cabinet note, all the developmental works selected under MlAlAD and citizens’ local area development funds through participative budgeting will be executed by DUDA. Further, DUDA will implement development works in unauthorised colonies, minor works under My Delhi I Care, works approved by district development committees, development schemes of urban villages and renovation/ reconstruction/ improvement of chaupals. The emphasis will be given to participation of the locals in planning the economic development and reducing compliance.
The DUDA will act as local agency at district level to approve and execute various plan schemes of the Government. The district magistrate/deputy commissioner of each district will be overall in-charge of the agency. Every district magistrate will also be provided with one division of PWD. The executive engineer will work under the administrative control of the respective district magistrate and for technical purposes will work under the superintending engineer/chief engineer of their respective zone of PWD. There are 11 revenue districts in the national Capital.
The total annual allocation, which is at present Rs4 crore, will be released by the State Finance department in two instalments to the district authority. The second instalment will be released after furnishing a provisional utilisation certificate of at least 80 per cent of first instalment.
last month, highlighting the need for setting up DUDA, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had stated in the Delhi Assembly that there is confusion about the appropriate agency for maintenance, construction and implementation of various public works projects in Delhi. “There are a number of agencies for public works like improvement of roads, renovation of drains, renovation of parks or street lights, but in reality none of the agencies take ownership of these public works,” Sisoida had said.
Explaining the problem of multiplicity of agencies, Sisodia had stated that departments like Irrigation and Flood Control Department, which are responsible for major works like flood control and irrigation, have been assigned the work of construction of small street drains in unauthorised colonies and same work in unauthorised colonies has also been assigned to municipal corporations, PWD and DSIIDC.