The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) executed the projects to spruce up roads and areas under its jurisdiction in the run-up to the G20 Summit using its own funds, with no financial support either from the Centre or the Delhi government, Mayor Shelly Oberoi told Ashish Srivastava and Zaid Nayeemi in an interview. She added that neither PWD minister Atishi nor she herself had ever been invited to the official G20 meetings, and as such the allegations that they didn’t attend these meetings had no meaning.
Excerpts from the interview...
The city has seen a major beautification drive for the G20 Summit. Did the MCD receive any financial support from the Centre or the Delhi government in this regard?
We have not received any separate funds for the G20 summit from the Centre or the Delhi government. Whatever beautification or the sprucing up of the roads you are seeing has been done with our own funds. The preparation for the G20 Summit is a joint effort of all the agencies. While the Delhi government’s PWD was responsible for the beautification of footpaths and its roads, MCD has done its part in sanitation and sprucing up its area.
Did the MCD set aside funds for the event since the summit venues and the associated area fall in its zones?
We didn’t put aside any specific funds for the preparations or the development works related to the event. Six of our zones fall in the jurisdiction of G20 events and preparations including the main event site at Pragati Maidan. Areas where the delegates would stay and where they are expected to visit have been spruced up and beautified. We have spruced up the roads, the roundabouts were renewed from the waste materials and even the areas surrounding the monuments were revamped. All this was done from the civic body’s funds.
Will the MCD be able to sustain the beautified areas after the event concludes or will things go back to square one?
Whatever development has been done for the G20 summit is permanent and we will maintain it even after it is over.
What kind of preparation has been made by the MCD on the roads to be used by the delegates and at the Pragati Maidan?
A total of 35 prominent roads were identified where the sanitation and cleanliness system was made efficient with the help of jetting machines, water sprinklers, anti-smoke guns and mechanical sweeping.
Around 12,000 sanitation workers were deployed on these stretches. At Pragati Maidan, over 250 employees have been stationed who will keep the area clean during the event round the clock.
Meanwhile, the three big drains encompassing the main event site have been de-silted and cleaned to prevent any waterlogging as the forecast indicates the region may get monsoon rains. The civic body is fully prepared and ready to welcome foreign dignitaries.
There has been a political tug of war to take the credit for all this work. The L-G has said that the PWD minister and you remained absent from the meetings although both of you head the agencies involved in the G20 preparations.
The question of attending the meeting does not arise as the PWD minister Atishi and the mayor’s office were not invited to any of those meetings. Being an administrator of the city and the civic body, officers from different departments were called for such meetings and they even accompanied the L-G during the inspections, but I never received any official invitation from Raj Niwas. Even though the heads of the agencies (Atishi and I) were not invited, we monitored every development.
However, it’s an international event and the country will be the focal point for the whole world. I believe the race or politics to take the credit for the work done should be spared. All the agencies involved in the event did their best job and priority should be given to making the event more successful, secure and a pleasant experience for our foreign guests.
The AAP has filed a police complaint against the L-G alleging that he disrespected Hindu sentiments by installing Shivling-shaped fountains. Has the issue been fabricated to take political mileage?
I don’t think the issue is fabricated politically. The matter is legitimate and a matter of concern for the followers of a certain faith. I think religious sentiments should be taken into consideration before installing any such thing which even remotely symbolizes or is attached to the faith of the people. We have to remain careful that our acts don’t hurt religious sentiments.
How are the officials cooperating with you with preparations related to the summit?
There was a perception that the officials at the civic body don’t work and that is why the civic amenities are in poor shape. However, our officials are very capable. The governance issues during the previous regimes and the scarcity of funds propelled the civic problems. Our officials are fully cooperating with us during these months and duly following the instructions given by me and with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. The result is visible as you can see how beautiful Delhi has become now.
It has been a month since the MCD ceased to issue weekly updates for vector-borne diseases despite them being recognised as notifiable illnesses. It’s the season of dengue and other mosquito-genetic diseases. Your comments?
I can say that the situation is under control. The public health department is continuously monitoring it. This time, it was a flood-like situation and we even thought that the cases of malaria and dengue would shoot up. But things are under control. I appeal to the people of Delhi to get checked up if they have a fever for 3-4 days. As far as the weekly updates are concerned, I will try to get the reason for not publishing the updates.