NDMC presents 2018-19 Budget

New Delhi: The New Delhi Municipal Council’s (NDMC) budget for 2018-19 presented on Monday talks about bringing more services on to mobile and online platforms.

Presenting the budget, NDMC chairperson Naresh Kumar said that the goals set by the council as a part of e-governance and m-governance are to usher in transparency, accountability, empower citizens, better efficiency, increase green cover, public arts and improve education and health services.

Mr Kumar presented a surplus budget with the total expenditure for 2018-19 at Rs 3,886.58 crore as against the total receipts of Rs 3,935.91 crores.

Elaborating on e-governance and m-governance, he said that the council was making efforts to computerise all departments and make its services online so as to reduce human interface for timely delivery of services to the citizens and eliminate inefficiencies through transparency and  accountability

To mitigate air pollution, Mr Kumar proposed to check spread of dust by covering the kutcha areas on both sides of roads and central verges with shrubs greenery.

Meanwhile, “NDMC’s priority will be to retain and reinforce its position as one of the most progressive municipal units in India in terms of sustainability and self-reliance,” he added.

To promote use of renewable energy, 30 civic schools have been identified for installing rooftop solar panels. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation  standing committee has cleared the proposal, a part of which “30 per cent subsidy for the scheme would be provided by the Centre. Rooftop solar panels installed at on municipal buildings under the NDMC as part of its initiative.

Mr Kumar said the NDMC has taken over the green belt opposite to AIIMS from the PWD and it will be developed as a public recreational place with water bodies, fountains and ornamental LED lightings.

“While the work on development on ‘vertical gardens’ has been started, which was widely appreciated, it is proposed to continue developing such gardens in 2018-19 too,” he added. The project willbe completed by 2019-20.

On education front, he proposed upgrading N.P. Bengali Girls and N.P. Girls’ Schools, Gole Market into ‘schools of excellence’.

“After upgradation, these two schools will boast of facilities such as Wi-Fi, digital library, automated school management information system, tablet-based smart classes for faster and easier assessment of students and facility to teach through video conferencing,” he said.

Five NDMC schools on Lodhi Road would also be developed as ‘schools of excellence’, he added.