In a significant move aimed at reducing bureaucratic hurdles, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday gave its nod to a proposal that will grant school health and building safety certificates a three-year validity. This decision aligns the MCD's system with that of the Delhi government and is expected to significantly ease the compliance burden on educational institutions across the capital.
Ending Annual Renewal Hassles
The proposal, introduced as a private motion by councillors Satyapal Singh and Pankaj Luthra, seeks to abolish the existing requirement for annual renewals. Schools had long complained that the yearly process forced them to make repeated visits to civic offices, consuming time and resources.
Currently, all private schools under the Delhi government and the MCD must obtain health and building safety certificates before undertaking any renovation or expansion work. They also need a separate fire safety certificate from the Delhi Fire Services. While the fire safety certificate already enjoys a three-year validity, the MCD-issued health and building safety certificates mandated renewal every year.
The motion highlighted that this discrepancy caused considerable inconvenience for school administrations and created opportunities for harassment and corrupt practices. "There is an urgent need to bring reforms with immediate effect," the approved proposal stated, underscoring the pressing nature of the issue.
Addressing Manpower Shortage in Parks Maintenance
In a separate but crucial decision, the MCD house also cleared a proposal to hire an agency for outsourcing manpower for its horticulture department. This hiring will be conducted through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for a period of two years.
The civic body is responsible for maintaining a vast green cover, comprising approximately 15,000 parks and green spaces spread over 5,172 acres. The maintenance of this area is managed through various models:
- 292.6 acres are maintained by Resident Welfare Associations under a public-private partnership model.
- 414.5 acres fall under the Delhi Parks and Gardens Scheme.
- 149.2 acres are maintained through memoranda of understanding.
However, officials revealed a critical shortage of staff for the remaining parks. The department requires 3,507 gardeners for proper upkeep, but only 2,070 are currently in position. This severe shortage is hampering maintenance work across the city's green lungs.
"Maintenance of parks cannot be achieved without adequate manpower, as the department is heavily dependent on outsourced staff. Since recruitment of malis, either on a regular or contractual basis, is presently not possible, the shortage of manpower is severely affecting work," officials explained.
Streamlining the Process
To address this gap efficiently, the horticulture department has proposed hiring the remaining required manpower. The outsourced staff will be deployed across MCD's 12 zones for two years, aiming to bring the city's parks and gardens back to a well-maintained state.
Together, these decisions mark a dual focus by the MCD: simplifying regulatory processes for educational institutions and tackling infrastructural maintenance challenges by ensuring adequate human resources. The three-year certificate validity is a direct response to long-standing grievances from the school community, promising a more streamlined and less cumbersome administrative experience.
