Just a week before the Arvind Kejriwal Government completes a year in power, more than 15,000 people attended a massive Congress rally in Kirari demanding new Government schools, a hospital and sewage system in the area.
The Congress leaders held the Arvind Kejriwal Government responsible for “not fulfilling poll promises” made to the people of Kirari and condemned the Delhi Government for “total neglect of the area”.
Alleging that the financial mess in the MCDs has been created by the BJP and the AAP Government, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Maken said, “The Congress Government was there in Delhi for 15 years and in the Centre for 10 years and not once did the safai karamcharis had to go on strike to get their salaries. In 2012-13, the Congress Government allotted MCDs `3,128.16 crore out of `35,000 crore budget, while in 2015-16, the Kejriwal Government allotted MCDs only `2,457.24 crore out of `41,129 crore budget. They should have allotted at least `4,000 crore taking into account the increase in salary, DA etc of the staff.”
Former DPCC chief Arvinder Singh lovely said extremely backward areas like Kirari should be given “special status “ by the Kejriwal Government. “When the Congress Government was in power, we sanctioned several new projects for Kirari and as the Urban Development Minister of Delhi I ensured that roads are built here in a big way. I am shocked to see as to how the AAP Government has neglected the development of Kirari. Kejriwal is spending `526 crore for his advertisement and after crippling the functioning of the Government due to severe paucity of fund, it now claims to have slashed more than `400 crore from its annual publicity fund. Kejriwal has also given a 400 per cent salary hike to his MlAs. I wish he spends some money on developmental work too,” said lovely.
Kirari Congress leader Pratyush Kanth, who organised the rally, said Kirari residents have been demanding a local hospital, a local police station, Government schools, community centres, street lights, public toilets, sewage system, decent roads, CCTV cameras and clean drinking water from the Kejriwal Government. “The Arvind Kejriwal Government is behaving as if humans don’t live in Kirari. A large number of women in Kirari still do not have access to toilets. lack of clean drinking water is the core reason why people are sick here all the time, especially children. Stagnant water, filth and no sewage system tells a very sad story of Kirari,” said Kanth.