The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has introduced 10 service pledges and an 18-point code of conduct for its employees, directing them to prioritise citizens, prevent deliberate delays and reject corruption in municipal work.
The measures were outlined in a September 30 circular issued by NDMC chairperson Manoj Kumar Dwivedi. The 10 commandments will be displayed prominently across NDMC offices as part of an effort to reinforce the spirit of “Nagrik Devo Bhava”, or the principle that citizens must be treated as the highest priority in public service.
The pledges include “I serve the citizen”, “I will be honest even when nobody is watching”, “I will not deliberately delay work” and “I will take ownership rather than saying ‘this is not my work’”. The circular links these commitments to wider requirements on transparency, accountability and service delivery.
Employees have been directed not to accept bribes or commissions and not to deliberately delay files or payments. The code also states that personal interests must not influence official decisions. Tenders, contracts, recruitment and regulatory enforcement are to be handled according to prescribed rules rather than personal connections, external pressure or political affiliations, officials said.
The circular places specific emphasis on how staff respond to residents. Employees have been asked to handle grievances politely and not force citizens to depend on personal contacts to obtain basic municipal services. Staff who receive queries outside their jurisdiction have been instructed to guide residents to the relevant department instead of turning them away.
The code also sets out workplace conduct requirements. It prohibits bullying, sexual harassment, abusive language and discrimination, while directing employees to protect confidential information. Personal social media activity must not interfere with official duties, according to the circular.
Financial and asset management are also covered. Employees have been told to use public money and municipal assets responsibly, with directions against inflated estimates, unnecessary expenditure and misuse of official vehicles or infrastructure. Department heads have been cautioned against issuing illegal oral directions to subordinates.
The circular encourages employees to report fraud and safety risks through official vigilance channels. It also assigns responsibility for maintaining clean and quality public spaces to all NDMC employees, rather than limiting that duty to sanitation or engineering departments.
The new code places everyday interactions between municipal staff and residents alongside formal safeguards for procurement, recruitment, payments and regulatory enforcement. Its implementation will depend on how the directions are displayed, communicated and acted upon across NDMC offices.
