Buoyed by the -"success-" of the trial run, Mr Sisodia is now trying to get a sense of what people at the grassroots level think about the experiment
The odd-even car formula is all set to turn into a political row as deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has reportedly told his legislators to seek opinion of people in their respective constituencies on whether President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Cabinet colleagues should also be brought under the ambit of the experiment to reduce traffic and air pollution in the national capital.
Buoyed by the “success” of the 15-day odd-even trial run, Mr Sisodia is now trying to get sense of what people at the grassroots level think about the experiment and whether they want the President, the PM and his Cabinet colleagues too to follow the car curbs. At a meeting with the city legislators and officers, the deputy CM reportedly told the MLAs to collect “correct feedback from their respective constituencies so that the next round of odd-even can be rolled out in a more effective manner.”
Reacting to Mr Sisodia’s suggestion of feedback on the President, PM and Union ministers in the odd-even ambit, a senior BJP leader said that this “mindset” clearly shows that the AAP was more interested in playing politics than doing any good for the city. He said any move to bring in Mr Modi under the odd-even scheme has to have clearance from the Special Protection Group, which is responsible for the PM’s security. The SPG was created by a special act of Parliament and it takes precedence over other acts. Another BJP leader said that Mr Sisodia’s diktat to the legislators to get odd-even feedback on the Prime Minister and the Central ministers clearly shows that his party was not interested in doing any good for the public, but was more interested in creating one controversy over the other. “The government should hold serious deliberations with experts and medical professionals to find out innovate ways to check air pollution.”
During its first 15-day odd-even experiment from January 1, the AAP government had given exemptions among others to the President, PM, Central ministers, governors and chief ministers of other states and Chief Justice of India, vehicles used by law-enforcing agencies, ambulances and fire tenders. But the Delhi chief minister had not been exempted from the scheme. He too had carpooled with his Cabinet colleagues to commute between his office and residence. Exemption also was granted to women, people driving in medical emergencies and two-wheelers. Questions had been raised why senior citizens had not been granted exemption. A series of meetings held in the past had deliberated upon the fact whether parents who had to drop or pick their children from schools should also be granted exemption. Also, the issue of students, who had to appear for their examinations, was raised. Since the AAP government is seriously considering to implement the second phase of the odd-even car rationing, deliberations are being held at different levels to ensure that the scheme is hassle-free.
