MCD asked to beautify city ahead of India-ASEAN summit

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has asked all municipal corporations in Delhi to start work on beautification of public places, monuments and gardens ahead of an India-ASEAN summit in January, civic officials said today.
The Union minister convened a meeting of all mayors and chairmen of standing committees of the three corporations yesterday, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation said.
North Delhi Municipal Commissioner Madhup Vyas informed that NDMC Standing Committee that the minister has asked the civic bodies to beautify monuments, places of tourist attraction, decorate roundabouts, crossings, and footpaths, and make them cleaner.
She has asked the civic authorities to lay special emphasis on beautification of the Chandni Chowk area, the heritage zone that falls in old Delhi, Vyas said.

"It was informed in the meeting that the ASEAN Summit will take place from January 19-30," Vyas said.
Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NDMC, Tilak Raj Kataria, said a meeting of senior functionaries would be convened to work out plan on a sanitation-cum-beautification drive.

South Delhi Municipal Commissioner P K Goel said the minister has directed the SDMC to beautify surroundings around archaeologically significant monuments and tourist places, by nurturing green areas, and illuminate monuments.
"Installation of uniform unipoles and kiosks at designated places, resurfacing of major roads under the jurisdiction of SDMC, beautification of areas around metro stations, and flyovers would also be done," the SDMC said in a statement.

The SDMC has also been asked to redesign its prominent parks to give then an "ornamental look".
The historical places and tourist place which are to be given a new look by refurbishing their surroundings, include, Safdarjang's Tomb, Qutub Minar, Nijammudddin Dargah area, Raj Ghat, Humayun Tomb, Lotus Temple.