NEW DELHI: The Delhi government approved on Tuesday a proposal to increase the MLA Local Area Development (LAD) fund from Rs 4 crore to 10 crore annually. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The Cabinet also approved the Department of Social Welfare's proposal for enhancement of the amount of assistance to the people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIVs). The financial assistance provided to such patients has been increased to Rs 2,000 per month from the current Rs 1,000 per month.
"In view of the diverse needs of the citizens of Delhi as articulated by their public representatives, the cabinet approved the above proposal. The condition of civic infrastructure in most of the residential colonies of Delhi is in a bad condition, which requires immediate augmentation and overhaul," said an official.
The basic rationale behind the MLA LAD scheme is to address the urgent needs of the local area by executing the civic works in a time-bound frame in public interest. The limit of Rs 4 crore for MLA LAD was fixed in the year 2011-12 and remained the same despite the fact that the budget outlay of Delhi increased from Rs 27,000 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 50,000 crore in the current financial year.
"The failure of the local bodies and DDA in regard to maintenance and upkeep of the civic amenities and infrastructure in their respective areas is a well-known fact, which could be tackled to some extent by increasing the quantum of funds and scope of work in the MLA LAD scheme. The cabinet has also approved the higher allocation of funds required to meet the demand for Rs 10 crore per constituency," said an official.
He added that it has also been approved that fresh guidelines and procedures will be issued from time to time by the Urban Development Department for fresh schemes to be undertaken under the MLA LAD scheme.
For the enhancement of the amount of assistance to HIV patients, the government decided an increased amount of support. "People living with HIV/AIDS (PLHAs) require lifelong Anti Retro-viral Treatment (ART) due to their compromised immune system and also require extra nutrition, in addition to a balanced
diet in order to cope up with their special needs," said an official. He added that most of these PLHAs are poor and may not be in a position to meet the cost of transportation for visiting the ART centre regularly for Anti Retro-viral treatment.
Similarly, there are Double Orphan Children infected or affected by HIV/AIDS, whose parents have died (at least one parent due to HIV/AIDS) and these children are either living with their grandparent or extended families or are in institutional care.
"They are often malnourished, suffer from stigma and discrimination, and cannot afford a proper education, including the cost for buying education-related material and transportation to school, affecting their long-term survival in the community," said the official.