JOIN USEast Corpn reaches out to corporates for funds
To overcome lack of funds for executing some of its ambitious projects, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation is looking towards tapping funds from corporate houses.
EDMC commissioner S S Yadav has written to Tata, Birla, Wipro and Tech Mahindra, among others, to fund some key projects in education, sanitation and information technology as a part of their corporate social responsibility.
The corporation has sent letters seeking funds and technical assistance under any category of the corporates’ choice, starting from maintenance of parks to providing furniture for schools and assistance in improving e-governance.
The move comes close on the heels of the Rs 1,500 crore budget proposed by the EDMC commissioner for the next financial year (2013-14). The budget proposals promised east Delhi residents better services in the form of new clinics, roads, parking lots and streetlights.
To augment thecorporation’s revenue, the budget proposed a hike in property tax, apart from introducing three kinds of taxes and education cess over property tax.
But most of the reforms proposed in the budget by the executive wings are likely to be turned down by the deliberative wing — the politicians — when the proposals are tabled before the standing committee and the civic body’s House for final ratification.
This is the reason why EDMC is looking towards corporates to fund some of its projects.
Under the plan, a few projects such as a teachers training institute at Dilshad Garden and a ‘school adoption scheme’ are already being materialised by the civic body.
The training institute will be equipped with the latest educational tools and equipment to help teachers better tutor students. According to Yadav, one such company, Tech Mahindra, has already agreed to support the Dilshad Garden institute.
Another such attempt has been made under a project titled ‘school adoption scheme’ for trusts, corporates and non-profit organisations to improve conditions in schools by adopting a school. Under the scheme, organisations are invited to adopt schools to bring their standards at par with private schools.
“We have already started talks in this connection with Tech Mahindra and Azim Premji Foundation. Another roundtable conversation is scheduled in the coming week,” said Yadav.
Apart from corporates, EDMC is also looking towards development schemes run by the central government. “We have already started using funds under the National Rural Health Mission for some health-related projects,” said Yadav.