AAP govt set to notify 3000 mohalla sabhas

New Delhi, May 29: The Delhi Government is gearing up to notify nearly 3,000 mohalla sabhas this week in its bid to empower people and encourage local level participation in governance in the national capital.

A senior government official said that a detailed proposal with the list of mohalla sabhas and the larger blueprint of implementing the initiative will be tabled in the Cabinet to be chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal next week for its approval.

In March, the AAP government had announced a Rs 350 crore Swaraj Budget for executing civic projects which will be finalised by mohalla sabhas.

"The Delhi Cabinet is likely to give its nod for the execution of 2972 mohalla sabhas in the next seven days. Thereafter, it will be notified by the government," the official said.

The entire city has been mapped in different mohallas which have been determined by factoring in the demographic profile and the socio-economic nature of neighbourhoods across the capital.

According to official, once cleared by the Cabinet, the list of mohallas will be put up on the Delhi government’s website for the public. Swaraj budgeting is a unique initiative started by the AAP government during the last financial year. Government had last year held mohalla sabhas in 11 Assembly constituencies for preparing a "participatory budget" in which the residents were asked to decide which development projects should be taken up in their localities.

"There are 70 Assembly constituencies in the national capital. As per roughly estimate, each Assembly segment has been divided into 40 mohallas, with number of voters ranging from 3000-6000.

Some big Assembly constituencies like Matiala will have about 70 mohalla sabhas," official further said. Mohalla clinics, dispensaries, schools among other institutions will be made accountable in the mohalla sabhas.

Such institutions will be asked to table details of their works done by them every month directly at these sabhas. As per plans, two mohalla co-ordinators will be nominated by the government who will be holding these mohalla sabhas and coordinating with the executing agencies.

All development projects finalised through sabhas will be carried out through Delhi Urban Development Authority (DUDA).

PTI