Govt begins laying sewer lines in jhuggi colonies

In a first, the Delhi government on Monday started laying sewer lines in five ‘jhuggi colonies’, a few months ahead of the municipal polls. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Water Minister Kapil Mishra inaugurated the project at the former’s Patparganj constituency here and claimed that people had decided to use mohalla sabha funds to execute it.

“Congress has always done politics in the name of jhuggis. But it has never laid sewer lines in any jhuggi colony. Today, for the first time work has started to lay pipeline in a jhuggi colony in Delhi.

“Interestingly, the decision to use mohalla sabha funds in this regard was taken by the jhuggi dwellers in a mohalla sabha,” Sisodia said.

The five colonies that have been chosen are Jawahar Mohalla, Shastri Mohalla, Mahatma Gandhi Camp, Khokha Patri Camp and Ram Prasad Bismil Camp.

Leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta alleged that Sisodia “cunningly attributed” the laying of sewer lines in the five JJ Clusters to “non—existing mohalla sabha fund” keeping the “MCD polls in mind“.

“The government provided ₹350 crore for use by the mohalla sabhas under the Citizen Local Area Development fund (CLADS). But it failed to provide concrete shape to the scheme. But sensing adverse public sentiments, it has linked normal work to the scheme,” Gupta said.

The government is also likely to go for a full—fledged Budget instead of vote—on—account, as was presented by the Sheila Dikshit government ahead of the 2007 and 2012 municipal polls.

Incidentally, the AAP had criticised the Centre’s plan to table the Union Budget on February 1 this time, saying it could impact the legislative polls which commenced on February 4.