Delhi govt allows use of MLALD funds in unauthorised colonies

A meeting of the Delhi Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, decided to allow spending of MLA Local Area Development funds for developmental projects in the 895 colonies which were regularised three months back.

The Cabinet has also reversed a number of existing norms in carrying out repair works in the colonies to ensure better civic amenities for residents of the unauthorised regularised colonies.

As per existing norms, repair works on roads and drains in the unauthorised regularised can only be carried only after expiry of their stipulated "life period" but the Cabinet has decided to do away with the norm to improve the existing facilities in the settlements.

"The civic condition of basic infrastructure in the colonies is in a bad shape and that is why the Cabinet decided to allow the agencies to take up repair works at the earliest," Dikshit said.

Dikshit, who had pushed hard to regularise the colonies after the Congress' electoral debacle in civic polls held in April, said today's decision will go a long way in bringing a sea-change in the standard of life of the residents in the colonies.

Dikshit's Parliamentary Secretary Mukesh Sharma said Delhi government was striving hard to provide civic amenities and infrastructure in all the regularised unauthorised colonies as per available in developed colonies in the capital city. (More)