Gujral tells CM to stop asking Centre for funds

“The biggest problem in Delhi is garbage disposal…I have never seen garbage being dumped at various street corners anywhere in the world,” Gujral said asking the municipal body to devise a scientific garbage management system.

He pointed out that all that the MCD did to discharge its responsibility, was to make landfills without realising the problems it could lead to. Giving an example of Ludhiana where water, 40 feet below the ground was polluted, he said thatcreating landfills would pollute the underground water and soon there would not be any clean water left for residents.

Obliquely referring to the comments about Delhi’s cleanliness made by British Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to Delhi last year and the resultant outburst of Delhi Chief minister Sahib Singh Verma, he said “when some foreigners point out the deficiency in cleanliness, we start criticising them.”

Criticising the Chief Minister Sahib Singh for reminding the Centre about its arrears of Rs 200 crore, he said that instead of asking the Centre for funds again and again, the government should generate its own resources.

He pointed out that MCD’s budget was more than that of several states, yet it did not reflect in the city’s sanitation. “Generally those in public office find an excuse, especially on grounds of financial crunch, for their failure to address the problem,” he said. Human Resource Development Minister S.R. Bommai said that maintaining cleanliness was not theresponsibility of the government or the municipal body alone. The onus equally lay on the people.

Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma said his government was trying its best to make the city clean and beautiful, but were not able to perform their job to the best of their capacity due to resource crunch.

He took the opportunity to remind the centre about octroi arrears of over Rs 200 crore owed to the Delhi government. “MCD is facing a severe resource crunch, especially after the implementation of the fifth pay Commission, and if the centre releases the octroi arrears it will ease the situation,” Verma said.

Admitting that 80 per cent of the city’s garbage could be recycled, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Tejendra Khanna, said that the irresponsible and lackadaisical attitude of MCD employees further compounded the problem. Pointing out that many of the karamcharis just signed the attendance register and then left the office, he asked the citizens to be vigilant and inform senior officials aboutanyone who did not perform his duty.