Civic agency has several other things on its agenda, most aimed at cutting costs

MCD revamps its menu for school children

Civic agency has several other things on its agenda, most aimed at cutting costs

Don't count the calories. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has now introduced 'puri-aloo' in its mid day meals for school children.

Stepping up to the plate: 'Halwa-Chana' introduced last year by MCD
failed to find favour with the kids. file pic

The civic agency had introduced 'halwa-chana' in its previous year's menu. But as per officials, students did not like the combo too much. So the MCD has decided to go with this option.

"We have this year introduced 'puri-aloo' for students. It will be served every Saturday. We hope students would love this newly added item," said Mahender Nagpal, Chairman, Education Committee, MCD.

The education committee of MCD has many more things this year on its agenda for students. One of the major steps includes cutting down on electricity usage and go with solar power instead.

"The budget has been introduced this year. They are planning to reduce the burden as the civic agency is already running into losses," said an MCD official on the condition of anonymity.

The civic agency will also be beautifying playgrounds and rooms in schools. According to sources, the civic authority is ready to spend a few crores on the new projects Apart from solar energy, the civic agency is also planning to introduce a system of water harvesting, summer season pumps and bio-metric machines. The civic agency has also decided the amount to be spent this year for these programmes.

"We have decided everything about the interventions. The new technology and food that we are introducing will require a good amount of money," said Nagpal.

Power play

In the wake of increasing complaints from city residents about streetlights and reports that 30 per cent of them were not functioning, Delhi's primary civic body has asked the private power discoms to improve the situation.
u00a0"We had been receiving increasing complaints from residents about non-functioning streetlights. We have repeatedly approached power discoms on the issue," said Jagdish Mamgain, Chairman,MCD Works Committee.
"About 30 per cent of the three lakh streetlights in areas under our jurisdiction have been non-functional as per inspection reports while 70 per cent have been functional," the BJP leader said. Mamgain, however, claimed the situation is now improving after MCD stopped release of payment for some months to the three discoms.

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