Ashish Sood
After eagerly waiting for around two-third duration of his tenure, the people of Delhi have lost hope in the lofty poll promises of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. The erstwhile “corruption crusader” is now not able to ensure minimum requirements the people would expect from an elected government but have adopted the policy of “distraction” on issues of public concern.
The preparation for and handling of monsoon season in Delhi has been considered a yardstick for a performing and functioning of the government in Delhi. It is the monsoon season when the city needs a full-time government on roads to take care of public transport, waterlogging, potholed roads, traffic management and health issues. In this crucial period, the Delhi chief minister, who has not taken up any department to make himself free for public grievances and supervision of government works, has gone on a 10-day leave to Bengaluru. Back home, his government, after giving permission to cut trees for a redevelopment project in South Delhi, has connived with some NGOs and engaged in blame game with the Central government. Here he is showing concern on environment but stays mum on the number of buses he had promised to purchase to improve Delhi’s pollution level. AAP government’s much-hyped plantation drive is also a failure, according to his official data between 2015-17, the dense forest cover in Delhi declined from 6.94 sq km to 6.72 sq km while addition of new trees in Delhi’s green cover was insignificant.
If the Kejriwal government is concerned about pollution in Delhi, it should ask for permanent closure of thermal power plant in Badarpur and use Bawana Gas plant in full capacity for which Union Minister for Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan has assured to provide gas. According to a report of IIT Kanpur, Badarpur plant alone is contributing around 11% load of the capital’s PM 2.5. The plant has around 250 lakh tonnes of fly ash which continuously adds to the pollution. The Kejriwal government is not interested in clean technology but only in political gimmicks.
What AAP is getting by fuelling public emotions for greenery? It’s the failure of AAP government to complete desilting before monsoon. According to the data of Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD), the agency has completed desilting of only 27% drains along 1,034 roads under its jurisdiction out of which no desilting have been conducted on drains along 209 big roads. This is not the first political gimmick Kejriwal and his government have adopted to distract the attention of people from the core issues Delhi is facing. When the national capital was facing acute water shortage and power outages due to scorching heat, he created a political gimmick by staging dharna in the air-conditioned waiting lounge of Lieutenant Governor. None of his three demands – direction to ‘striking’ IAS officer, action against ‘striking’ officer and approval of the ‘doorstep delivery of ration’ were agreed upon; but Kejriwal called off the strike. He himself declared his win. He has definitely won in suppressing the issues of public under his distraction policy. His distraction policy has been successful in providing cover up to all his poll promises from wi-fi to new schools to new colleges in rural areas to regularisation of unauthorised colonies to sewage system and many more.
Ashish Sood is general secretary and in-charge, publicity department of BJP Delhi, Prabhari, BJP Chandni Chowk District
