NEW DELHI: Encouraged by its successful experiment — deputing experienced leaders to assist councillors to maintain cleanliness and effective sanitation services during the festive season, the BJP in Delhi has decided to continue with the novel initiative.
Delhi BJP president Adesh Kumar Gupta said similar exercises would continue, however, every month, the focus would be on better upkeep of various municipal services such as parks, schools, and dispensaries.
“The party is obviously upbeat after the striking success of the programme, which we undertook during Diwali and Chhath Puja. Our leaders and councillors and ensured that roads are cleaned and garbage is removed daily. In some wards, garbage collection was double than the usual amount being disposed of by the corporation on daily,” said Gupta.
The Delhi BJP chief said that monthly drives would lead to municipal corporations’ working effectively and better.
“Because of the festive reason and crowd in the market during Covid pandemic, we started with sanitation. As the results have been heartening, the party has resolved to make this experience a regular feature. After discussion, we will choose one service — community centres, dispensaries, schools, or parks — every month. To encourage serious participation and efforts, we will confer recognition to best wards and assembly or pull up the councillors, who perform poorly,” said Gupta.
Earlier, this month, the saffron outfit engaged 70 experienced leaders and functionaries, who worked closely with the local councillors, to ensure timely garbage removal, cleaning of roads and urinals during the recently concluded festive season.
A senior Delhi BJP functionary said the decision had been taken to improve ‘image’ of the civic bodies, being ruled by the party for about 13 years, as hardly a year is left for the municipal elections in the city.
“The AAP has been aggressively attacking three Municipal Corporation and highlighting their poor functioning. With this renewed effort by the president, the party is aiming to shed the image of a non-performer,” said the leader.
Gupta said that the party is taking this exercise very seriously and appointment of leaders or functionaries for monitoring a ward would be on a rotational basis.
“I am getting reports from all wards and they are being evaluated. Every month, we will try to engage different leaders for different wards,” he said.