India, June 18 -- After more than two and a half years of legal and political gridlock, the standing committee of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has finally been constituted-clearing the way for over 125 long-pending proposals to move forward. The powerful panel, which controls the MCD's purse strings, is expected to meet for the first time next week, with a barrage of infrastructure and civic improvement projects on its agenda, according to civic officials.

Civic officials said that the town planning department alone has moved 73 proposals seeking approval for layout plans of delayed projects. "More proposals are being added each day. Most of these pertain to layout approvals that have been stalled for the last two and a half ...