Delhi LG VK Saxena expressed serious concern on Monday about the collapse of civic infrastructure during the monsoon and called for a structured approach to regular inspections. He directed that an institutionalized mechanism be established, mandating scheduled inspections by senior officers.
In a communication to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, the Principal Secretary of Delhi LG outlined new protocols. All Heads of Departments (HODs), Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, and Additional Chief Secretaries are required to create a schedule for field inspections. Inspection reports from these officials should be submitted to the Chief Secretary and copied to the LG Secretariat and the Minister In-charge.
The new guidelines specify that inspections by department Secretaries should occur fortnightly, by HODs weekly, and by Principal Secretaries fortnightly. Additionally, District Magistrates are instructed to engage with Resident Welfare Associations monthly to address and resolve local issues with the relevant departments.
This directive follows a recent incident where heavy rainfall caused flooding in the basement of a coaching institute in Delhi’s Old Rajendra Nagar area. The Delhi High Court responded by ordering officials to visit affected areas and report back with an affidavit detailing the actions taken. The court also required all pertinent files to be presented and the MCD Director to attend the proceedings. Delhi Police has been added as a respondent in the case.
The court has scheduled a follow-up hearing for Friday and expressed frustration with systemic issues contributing to infrastructural failures. It criticized the Delhi Government, MCD, and other civic authorities for the lack of upgrades to outdated infrastructure, despite changes in bylaws. The court emphasized the need to fix accountability for the construction and maintenance failures that led to the recent incident.