Delhi CM nominates MLAs as chairpersons of 11 district development committees

New Delhi: In a move that will speed up developmental works at local level, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has nominated MLAs as chairpersons of 11 district development committees in the city.

According to an order issued by the General Administration Department on Saturday, the chief minister has nominated eight BJP and three AAP MLAs to these committees.

The new chairpersons are Kulwant Rana, North West Delhi district; Ajay Mahawar, North East; Gajendra Yadav, South; Pawan Sharma, South West; Manoj Shokeen, West; Raj Kumar Bhatia, North; Shikha Roy, New Delhi; and Jitendra Mahajan Shahdara. All these MLAs are from the BJP.

Similarly, three AAP MLAs -- Sanjeev Jha, Central Delhi; Ravi Kant, East Delhi; and Ram Singh Netaji, South East Delhi, have been nominated to respective district development committees, the order said.

The Delhi government has a two tier structure for decentralisation of decision making regarding development works, including at the state and district level.

The district committees are intended to encourage de-centralisation in decision-making and provide a responsible administration by involving MLAs, municipal councillors, resident welfare associations, district magistrates and district level officers of the other departments and civic bodies.

Decentralised decision-making in matters relating to public utility and basic civic amenities, involves people directly as well as through elected representatives in the process of planning, execution and monitoring of various schemes, projects and policies, officials said.