Delhi Lt General Najeeb Jung today batted for greater spending under the Corporate Social Responsibility on sectors like health and education as he asked industrialists and business class to consider CSR as "compulsory" tax.
Jung, while speaking at the Annual General Meeting of FICCI here also expressed hope of not seeing "further destruction" of the national capital amid an ever-rising population.
"I beseech all of you that those who do the CSR, the country needs much more open heartedness. I think you should treat CSR as the part of compulsory tax and something else which is needed from us," he said.
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Speaking on 'Transformation of Delhi into a world class metropolitan city', the Lt General said, "by 2030 we expect the population of the city to be three crores. I do not think it is physically possible for any system to provide infrastructure that is required, however, we may desire."
"We can not stop the influx of people. Every person who comes from outside is a citizen of India. You cannot put an embargo. People flock to this city in lakhs every year for jobs," he said.
Comparing the older days of Delhi when facilities like supply of electricity, drinking water, education and health were adequate to meet the needs of rich and poor alike, Jung pointed to the deteriorating state of affairs particularly in education and health fields in present Delhi.
Referring to inadequate health facilities at government-run hospitals and lack of facilities like toilets in schools, he said, "As a Dilliwala who belongs to old Delhi and who has seen the destruction of this great city, I hope in my life I don't see further destruction."
"I think to improve Delhi is amounting to improving India. India itself will have to transform and then Delhi will transform and it will come from focusing more and more on poorest of the poor," he said, stressing to work on the requirements of education and health.
Progress in Delhi is double or three times as compared to other cities. The budget of the city is about Rs 38-39 thousand crores which is more than the budget of Odisha and Harayana, Jung said, pointing to lacking areas where corporates needed to contribute to the government efforts.
Further, referring to the rule of NDA government, the
Lt Governor said that an "emphasis" on clearing projects and a general "enthusiasm" towards investment has been witnessed in the last year and a half.
"Attempts at providing corruption-free bureaucracy, single window clearances... All those attempts are going on. Particularly in the last 18-19 months with the NDA government, a great emphasis on clearing projects quickly, reducing the number of licences required and a general enthusiasm to encourage industry and investment has been seen," he said.
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During the question-answer session, the Lt Governor replied a range of questions on school education, odd-even formula, pollution, BRT corridor and security of women in the national capital.
Regarding the "confrontation" between Centre and State over authority of Delhi Police, Jung said, "as far as Constitution stands, Delhi Police reports to the Home Ministry through myself."
"It has nothing to do with security of people, it has to do with the attitude of Delhi people and Delhi Police and its competence," he said.
"We are concerned by rapes and molestation of women. Statistically, 94 per cent of such cases are coming from relations and immediate neighbours. So that arises from the mentality of the people, it is not coming from a lack of administration," he said.
In reply to question on changes in juvenile justice and the issue relating to release of the accused in Nirbhaya gangrape case, Jung said, "I think the government is actively engaged to bring down this age. The juvenile homes we have are not working very efficiently and the courts are monitoring them.
