BJP destroying Delhi with help of L-G: Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: Accusing lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung of creating hurdles by raising “unnecessary objections” in executing the vacuum cleaning of the city’s roads, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday slammed the BJP for destroying Delhi through the L-G. The CM said that he has directed his deputy Manish Sisodia to meet the L-G next week and request him to let the government execute the vacuum cleaning project in an effort to bring down the dust pollution.  

The Aam Aadmi Party (APP) government had announced the proposal to mechanically sweep the city’s dusty roads last December as part of the slew of measures to combat alarming levels of pollution in the national capital.

The L-G office had asked the AAP government to resubmit the proposal with detailed examination from legal, administrative, and financial point of view detailing implications for all stake holders. “There is a bad news. Entire Delhi was eagerly waiting for vacuum cleaning. The L-G has put four unnecessary objections on the vacuum cleaning project which is just only to stop vacuum cleaning of roads in Delhi. We will continue to fulfill all objections and hence, there will then be no vacuum cleaning in Delhi,” Mr Kejriwal said.

He alleged that the L-G has asked for details on the roads which would be vacuum cleaned despite his government apprising him that the project will be implemented on the PWD roads. The Delhi chief minister said that the clarifications sought are “unnecessary” and only aimed at “stalling the initiative.”

“Written submission has been filed with the Supreme Court that vacuum cleaning will be done on the city’s roads. I think that this is contempt of the Supreme Court order (by raising the objections on the proposal),” he said.

The L-G office has also asked who the competent authority is to takeover these functions (sweeping and parking activities) by PWD from MCD and sought the law department’s opinion on the issue. “BJP wants to devastate Delhi through the lieutenant-governor. We are not taking over functions from MCD. We are only saying that PWD will do vacuum cleaning of roads once in 10 days, but during the rest of the days, MCD will do its work (cleaning of roads),” Mr Kejriwal said.

“Neither we are asking for money from the MCD nor are we taking over their functions. Instead, we are giving facility to municipal corporations,” he said. The LG office refused to comment on the issue.

Around 1,280 km of the city’s total road length comes under the local Public Works Department (PWD) as it is responsible only for roads which are more than 60-ft wide. The rest comes under the purview of the civic bodies.