World | India
Activists question municipal services
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) receives the maximum number of Right to Information (RTI) queries among all Delhi government departments - a fact that puts the quality of its services into question, say activists.
- IANS
- Published: 23:07 June 21, 2009
New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) receives the maximum number of Right to Information (RTI) queries among all Delhi government departments - a fact that puts the quality of its services into question, say activists.
Said to be the largest civic body in India and second only to Tokyo's in terms of geographical area, the MCD has received 21,095 RTI applications (as of June 19) since 2005, putting it far ahead of the other 120 Delhi government departments.
"We are the largest civic agency in India and second in the world. We are a big agency and it is natural that so many queries pop up pertaining to the corporation's services," MCD spokesperson Deep Mathur said.
The MCD handles 96 per cent of the capital's land area and also caters to 98 per cent of its population. From littering to roads with potholes to choked drains, the agency deals with a magnitude of civic issues.
But RTI activists have raised doubts about its ability to deliver services.
"Delivering services is the MCD's duty. But people are not happy - the higher number of RTI applications shows discontent. Saying they are a large agency and tend to slip sometimes shows there is something wrong with their attitude in functioning," RTI activist Manish Sisodia said.
Sisodia, who has filed over 30 applications regarding the condition of roads, education and other MCD services said, "The RTI applications are actually residents' attempts to find accountability when they find the shoddy delivery of civic services.
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