Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has enhanced the financial powers of the city’s municipal commissioner from Rs 5 crore to Rs 50 crore, paving the way for faster project approvals, the CMO said on Saturday.Regarding the decision, chief minister Rekha Gupta said empowering local bodies for development is the government’s top priority.She emphasised that the decision has been taken with public interest at its core and will directly benefit the people of the capital.Timely execution of development works will ensure better utilisation of resources, enhance the effectiveness of public expenditure, she said.At present, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) commissioner is empowered to approve projects only up to Rs 5 crore. Projects exceeding this amount required approval from the corporation’s standing committee, followed by final clearance from the House of the Corporation, an statement by the Delhi chief minister office said.This multi-tiered approval mechanism often led to avoidable delays in the execution of development works, it said.“By increasing the commissioner’s financial powers to Rs 50 crore, the implementation process of schemes will become simpler, faster, and more effective,” the statement said.The enhanced delegation of powers will facilitate the timely execution of works related to roads, drains, sanitation, community facilities, and other essential civic services, it said.It will also help accelerate long-pending projects, reduce procedural bottlenecks, and ensure that development initiatives reach citizens without unnecessary delay, the statement added.
