NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party’s victory in the MCD elections will result in Delhi having a double-engine government, with the party having control over health, education, road infrastructure, tax collection, sanitation and garbage management in the city. It also leaves the residents with the hope that the lack of tussle between the civic body and the state government will lead to a better state of affairs in the national capital.
The MCD has jurisdiction over primary education while the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government runs senior secondary and higher education. Similarly, the civic body runs government dispensaries and eight big hospitals in the city, while the government has its own health clinics and hospitals. By coming at the helm of the MCD, AAP will now be able to manage education as well as health sectors in Delhi.
The party will also have control over managing sanitation and garbage disposal issues, which were called the key ‘failure’ areas of the BJP during its tenure. AAP frequently slammed the BJP-run MCD over lack of cleanliness and mounds of garbage at the three landfill sites at Ghazipur, Bhalswa and Okhla. Now, theball will be in AAP court.
“There will be no place for blame game and the situation will improve,” Vikrant Tongad, an environmental activist, said. “We want a comprehensive plan on garbage management, environment protection and pollution, besides many other issues. The people of Delhi have been suffering due to the tussles between the AAP and the BJP,” he added.
Another area where AAP will be able to show results is the horticulture department, which looks after the maintenance of parks, beautification of roadsides, and areas under flyovers, etc. The Delhi government has a separate department for environment and related issues and now both will be governed by the elected representatives belonging to AAP.
“The AAP should come up with a road map about how they will change the face of the city,” Amit Shrivastava, a South Delhi resident, said. “The BJP used to say that the MCD was being denied funds but with the AAP in power both in the government and the civic body, I hope that civic amenities will be improved.”
AAP to form 2-tier government
To have complete control over:
Health
Education
Road infrastructure
Tax collection
Sanitation
Garbage management
Promises no tussle between MCD and state government over various issues
Development to have positive impact at assembly level
Residents approach MLAs for many problems such as:
Cleaning of drains
Road repair
Pollution-related issues
Beautification of parks
Development of market/ commercial areas
Encroachment