Funds for promoting arts, housing penalty relief for employees: New Delhi Municipal Council nod for key initiatives

Art and music festivals, seminars, exhibitions: Several events in and around Mandi House are planned to be organised by the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in the coming days.
'We have planned an annual calendar for the festivals to promote young artists,' said Vice-Chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal during a press conference at the NDMC office on Wednesday. The council will allocate 1% of its Budget every year to promote visual and performing arts, added Chahal.
Among the 35 agendas discussed in the meeting on Wednesday, the council also decided to waive penalties imposed on those retired or deceased NDMC employees whose spouses or parents are also employed by the civic body for overstaying in government housing. Their housing will be regularised.
Penalties imposed on those who have been living in government housing beyond the permissible time frame of two years will also be waived, NDMC member and New Delhi MLA Parvesh Sahib Singh said. They will have to vacate the houses.
'This is not just about housing regularisation; it is about honouring families who served NDMC for years. It is our responsibility to stand by them,' he said.
The meeting was also attended by New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj, NDMC Chairperson Keshav Chandra, and various other NDMC members.
Chahal, in the briefing, said that the council is and will work to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a 'Viksit (developed) Delhi' to action by allocating money to various policies.
For monsoon preparedness, the council has approved a budget of Rs 70 crore for desilting of the Sunheri drain in Lodhi Road along with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. The desilting process is already underway.
It also approved the purchase of hydraulic high-pressure jetting machines for the improvement of drainage lines. Night sweeping in the NDMC area was also approved.
A tender of Rs 6.5 crore has also been passed to shift water lines in the Sarojini Nagar General Pool Residential Accommodation (GPRA) colonies; this redevelopment project is being carried out by the NBCC.
'There is high movement of VIPs in our area of jurisdiction, and so we have decided to give a contract for providing temporary comfort stations/urinals for women and men on a hire basis for various functions in the entire NDMC area for three years,' Chahal added.
In a step towards smart water metering, the Council has approved replacing 15,312 out of 20,709 mechanical meters with smart water meters. This marks a significant move toward efficient water usage and billing. The process is currently at the tendering stage and is estimated to cost Rs 13.98 crore.
Taking a dig at the previous government's 'incapability' to fulfill the promises made, Chahal said that the Council is fully committed to working for the people.
Asked about the progress on the city's Gole Market restoration project, he said that the Council will meet again to share details on the project. The iconic market, a 12-sided marvel with six entrances and a central courtyard, is being revamped as a museum – the first-of-its-kind in the country dedicated to women achievers from different spheres.

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