Urbanised villages at odds with Rs 800cr grant for rural areas

Residents of urbanized villages in Delhi are calling for a special policy to address the poor condition of their areas. Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena had announced a revamp of the city’s 49 villages using a fund of Rs 800 crore, but the urbanized villages argue that their areas are equally neglected. The residents claim that the promised Rs 2 crore per village per year has not been spent, and they have been deprived of basic amenities since the abolishment of the panchayat system. The DDA and khap panchayats are being urged to involve the local community in deciding the development priorities.