Days ahead of the civic polls on April 23, residents’ groups have asked political parties to come up with solutions for Delhi’s biggest problems — sanitation, illegal parking, encroachment and the blame game agencies play.
15 issues highlighted
The East Delhi Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) Joint Front wrote to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken on Friday, asking them to come up with solutions in their manifestos to the 15 problems that have been highlighted.
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According to the RWAs, door-to-door garbage collection and open dhalaos in residential areas are among the main concerns for residents. “We don’t want just promises. We want to know how each party plans to solve our problems. We all know what the problems are in the Capital,” said B.S. Vohra, president of the East Delhi RWAs Federation.
In an email sent to the leaders, the RWAs have also asked for better coordination between the municipal corporations and different departments of the Delhi government. Many problems, like water-logging of roads during the monsoon, can be solved if the agencies work together, said Mr. Vohra.
“Every year, we hear the same excuses. The municipal corporations blame the Public Works Department or the Delhi Jal Board, who in turn accuse the corporations of not cleaning drains. We don’t want any blame game,” he added.
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‘Address funds dispute’
Another problem that hit east Delhi was the multiple strikes by sanitation workers in the past two years. Faced with a financial crisis, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) was unable to pay workers on time, triggering strikes and allowing garbage to collect on the streets. The RWAs have demanded that the parties address the dispute over funds between the EDMC and the Delhi government.