Kejriwal wants all pending MLALAD works approved within 7 days

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday directed the Urban Development Department of Delhi to approve all pending works under the MLA Local Area Development (MLALAD) scheme within a week.

He also asked the department to approve new works under the scheme within three days.

"Several works of critical public importance to be done with the MLALAD funds are pending for several months. Public suffering," tweeted Kejriwal.

"Issued directions today to UD (Urban Development Department) to approve all pending works within a week from today. Henceforth, any work from MLALAD fund shall be approved within 3 working days by UD," he said in the next tweet on Thursday.

The MLALAD fund was shifted to the Urban Development Department in December 2017 from the District Urban Development Agency.

Under the LAD scheme, launched in 1994, an MLA in Delhi gets Rs 4 crore in a year to execute various works in his or her constituency.

Modelled on the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme, each MLA can suggest works to be done in their constituencies up to Rs 4 crore in a year, with each individual project not exceeding Rs 2 crore.

The Delhi Assembly in April passed a resolution directing the authorities to formulate "strict" guidelines for the execution of works with MLALAD funds.

According to the guidelines, no executing agency should take more than 21 days for providing an estimate of work requested from an MLA, and if there is any other proposal for the same work by other entities, the MLA concerned must be informed within seven days.

--IANS

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