As the political establishment focuses on the political deadlock in Delhi that has resulted from the state assembly having been in suspended animation since February, ordinary citizens have another concern: new streetlights haven’t been installed, roads aren’t being repaired and big civic infrastructure projects are stalled.
This is because all governance functions have been concentrated in the hands of the Lieutenant Governor since the Aam Aadmi Party state government resigned eight months ago.
“I could not get the roads repaired and pavements made in my constituency because that needs clearances from the transport department, the Public Works Department and the Delhi Jal Board and it takes almost two weeks every time to get an appointment with the Lieutenant Governor who can direct these departments to carry out the work,” grumbled Arvinder Singh Lovely, chief of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee and the MLA from Gandhi Nagar.
Flood of complaints
Legislators across party lines said that they had been inundated with complaints from residents but were unable to solve their problems. “All 27 of the existing legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party are conducting weekly mohalla sabhas, consulting residents about developmental works necessary in the constituency,” said party leader Manish Sisodia. “They are unable to address most of the complaints by residents as new projects need to be sanctioned from certain departments of the state, which can only happen if there is a working government.”
Legislators are especially frustrated because they are unable to use the Rs four crore fund each of them has been sanctioned under the MLA-Local Area Development Scheme “I have proposed a number of projects on sewer, drainage and also roads,” said Haroon Yusuf, the Congress legislator from Ballimaran in central Delhi . “I am waiting for the sanctions and clearances from various departments. Once I get those, we can move ahead.”
Projects stalled
It isn’t just about the small stuff. Big infrastructure projects worth close to Rs 5,000 crore have been delayed indefinitely. Though the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government had sanctioned a monorail project in East Delhi as well as plans to construct an elevated road connecting Vikaspuri in West Delhi with Wazirabad North Delhi, no progress has been made on them
“Even existing projects, like the Barapullah Extension Phase III, the construction of which was to start in early 2014, cannot proceed as it is waiting for sanction from the cabinet,” said a senior official at the Public Works Department, Delhi Government. “Unfortunately we do not have one.”
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This is because all governance functions have been concentrated in the hands of the Lieutenant Governor since the Aam Aadmi Party state government resigned eight months ago.
“I could not get the roads repaired and pavements made in my constituency because that needs clearances from the transport department, the Public Works Department and the Delhi Jal Board and it takes almost two weeks every time to get an appointment with the Lieutenant Governor who can direct these departments to carry out the work,” grumbled Arvinder Singh Lovely, chief of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee and the MLA from Gandhi Nagar.
Flood of complaints
Legislators across party lines said that they had been inundated with complaints from residents but were unable to solve their problems. “All 27 of the existing legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party are conducting weekly mohalla sabhas, consulting residents about developmental works necessary in the constituency,” said party leader Manish Sisodia. “They are unable to address most of the complaints by residents as new projects need to be sanctioned from certain departments of the state, which can only happen if there is a working government.”
Legislators are especially frustrated because they are unable to use the Rs four crore fund each of them has been sanctioned under the MLA-Local Area Development Scheme “I have proposed a number of projects on sewer, drainage and also roads,” said Haroon Yusuf, the Congress legislator from Ballimaran in central Delhi . “I am waiting for the sanctions and clearances from various departments. Once I get those, we can move ahead.”
Projects stalled
It isn’t just about the small stuff. Big infrastructure projects worth close to Rs 5,000 crore have been delayed indefinitely. Though the Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government had sanctioned a monorail project in East Delhi as well as plans to construct an elevated road connecting Vikaspuri in West Delhi with Wazirabad North Delhi, no progress has been made on them
“Even existing projects, like the Barapullah Extension Phase III, the construction of which was to start in early 2014, cannot proceed as it is waiting for sanction from the cabinet,” said a senior official at the Public Works Department, Delhi Government. “Unfortunately we do not have one.”