On Thursday, March 28th, the Delhi High Court issued a directive to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), emphasizing the need for improvements in the administration of the city.
NEW DELHI: On Thursday, March 28th, the Delhi High Court highlighted major financial problems within the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), indicating that the city’s management system might need a big change if these issues continue.
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The bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, directed the MCD before that it could be shut down if it doesn’t fix its money problems and also said the citizens cannot continue to live in “misery” due to the MCD’s incompetence.
The court also stated its intention to supersede the MCD and instructed that the matter be scheduled for daily hearings starting on April 8.
Although the MCD said it cleared the dues until February, it admitted there were delays in paying extra money owed under new pay guidelines to about 50,000 employees. The MCD plans to set aside at least Rs 15 crore every month to catch up on these payments.
“The time has come for you to exit. Your deep-rooted incompetence, constant quarreling, and oversized egos prevent you from grasping the overall situation,” stated the bench, which includes Justice Manmeet PS Arora.
“It appears there’s a fundamental issue. A comprehensive review of Delhi’s administration is necessary,” the bench noted.
“Your financial situation is extremely unstable; how can you focus on development? It seems your sole function is to manage payroll. You’re struggling to manage your own affairs, failing to offer any services to the public. Despite having seven years of pending petitions, you’ve made no progress,” the court commented.
“It appears they are beyond reform. It’s as if the situation is out of their hands,” it further added.
The court is dissatisfied with MCD’s ongoing payment delays and questions
whether the corporation is doing any real work beyond just trying to manage its payroll.
The judges are also concerned that citizens are suffering because of these administrative issues and mentioned that there’s a lack of cooperation among different departments. They warned that if the MCD doesn’t manage its budget better and pay its debts, its workers might look for other ways to make money, which could lead to more problems in managing the city.
“Your finances are in disarray; you’re unable to settle overdue payments. How are you fulfilling your duties to the community? Failure to compensate your employees adequately might lead them to seek alternatives (to obtain money). This has resulted in the entire city being poorly managed,” the court observed.
“There’s a need to overhaul the entire system,” the court suggested.
Additionally, the court pointed out that Delhi’s government hospitals are also not in good shape, suggesting that the city’s problems go beyond just the financial issues of the MCD. An expert group has been set up to look for solutions to these problems.
