Standing committee clears key layout plans for Delhi govt projects
In its first meeting in over two years, the standing committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Thursday approved layout plans for several major government projects. These include revised layouts for Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) group housing colonies in Shadipur and Hari Nagar, a Delhi University complex in Dhaka, the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade campus in Maidangarhi, and updated plans for St Stephen's College, Shri Ram College of Commerce, and the National Physical Laboratory in Pusa. The panel also cleared layouts for a housing project for the Rajya Sabha secretariat at RK Puram and revisions to a plan on Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Marg. MCD Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh with MCD standing committee chairman Satya Sharma and deputy chairman Sunder Singh. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)
Several large-scale infrastructure projects in the city had been stalled for over two and a half years due to the standing committee's prolonged absence, owing to political and legal disputes. The 18-member body is empowered to approve all proposals involving financial implications of ₹ 5 crore or more, changes in layout plans, audits, and other key financial policy matters.
At Thursday's meeting, a total of 57 layout proposals were presented, of which nine—mostly government-related—were approved. The remaining proposals, largely from private property owners and companies, have been deferred to the next meeting.
The committee also cleared 16 other non-layout-related items, including the hiring of gardeners across six administrative zones, sanitation and housekeeping staff for municipal hospitals such as Kasturba and Hindu Rao, and the bulk procurement of insecticides and larvicides by the public health department ahead of the monsoon.
The meeting, which lasted over three hours, saw members raise issues from their respective zones and wards. These included the stray cattle menace, sealing of commercial establishments, drain de-silting delays, road damage due to rain, and poor sanitation.
AAP member Rafia M highlighted the declining number of Urdu medium schools in Old Delhi, citing serious infrastructure and staffing issues in the few that remain.
A short-notice question on monsoon preparedness was also taken up, in response to which the MCD stated it had exceeded its silt removal target. The civic body said it had cleared 156,148 metric tonnes (MT) of silt from drains over 4 feet wide, against a target of 126,474 MT.
MCD commissioner Ashwani Kumar, addressing concerns over waterlogging, said the city may still see localised flooding despite the silt clearance. 'We are neither god nor do we have control over Lord Indra. Some low-lying areas may still face waterlogging,' he told the committee.
The meeting also saw journalists being barred from entering the committee chambers—a break from longstanding convention. AAP leader of opposition Ankush Narang criticised the decision, saying, 'This is the first time in MCD's history that the BJP has not allowed media access to a committee meeting. AAP strongly opposes the move.'
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