CM says LG trying to stall vacuum-cleaning of roads

NEW DELHI: Vacuum-cleaning of roads, promised by the AAP government to rid roadsides of dust, will not be taking off any time soon. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung had raised objections to the scheme and claimed that it was an attempt to stall the project entirely.
The government had decided to take up sweeping of roads, the function of the three municipal corporations, when Delhi’s air quality had reached critically polluted levels.This was among several dust control measures that the government had proposed. It was taken up first during the second odd-and-even scheme and PWD is in the process of hiring more machines.
The file noting from the LG’s office, shared by the government, said, “As pointed out by a number of departments, sweeping and parking activities are functions of municipal corporations as per Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) Act. Who is the competent authority to authorise takeover of these functions by PWD from MCD? Specific opinion of the law department on this issue may be obtained. The concerns of municipal corporations about possible loss of revenue also need to be adressed as parking is a revenue-generating activity for the MCDs. Further, it is not clear how the issue of sanitation workers currently deployed by MCDs for cleaning of these roads will be dealt with.”
Kejriwal, who called this a contempt of the Supreme Court, said the LG’s office returned the file on the project recently with four objections. “There is clearly no sense in any of the objections and is only a ploy to stall vacuum-cleaning of roads. We have been saying that BJP, through the LG, is trying to ruin Delhi. We are not here to take over work from the corporations. We will vacuum-clean roads maybe once a week or 10 days and on the remaining days, the corporation can do its work. We are not asking for money or anything else from them but only enhancing their work.”
There was no response from the LG’s office on the matter though sources said the file was only at the level of discussion and no final decision had been taken.
Kejriwal also said LG Najeeb Jung had raised objections to the decision of the government to give Rs 1 crore to the family of ex-serviceman Ram Kishan Grewal, who allegedly committed suicide over non-implementation of one rank-one pension. “The LG has asked for a report which we are in the process of drafting. If Delhi wants to help an ex-serviceman, what is BJP’s problem? Deputy CM Manish Sisodia will meet the LG next week and explain both matters to him,” Kejriwal said.