The AAP Government will provide affordable housing to everyone in 10 years if Delhi is granted full Statehood,” said Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Lok Sabha candidate for the East Delhi constituency Atishi.
In an interview to The Pioneer, she said to carry out any kind of development project, such as hospital, schools, collages, and universities, we need land and the land owning agency in national Capital is ‘Delhi Development Authority’(DDA) that is not under the Delhi Government.
“Almost 70 to 80 per cent areas in East Delhi are unauthorised and these unauthorised constructions were happened because DDA, which is responsible to provide home to people on affordable rates failed to do so, adding that it (DDA) has become land mafia and works in connivance of builders”, she said adding, “People cannot afford to purchase house legally that is why illegal construction is rampant in these areas”.
Atishi, an alumnus of Delhi’s St Stephens and Oxford University, is known for introducing reforms in the State of education in Government run schools in the national Capital. She is pitted against BJP’s Gautam Gambhir and Congress’s Arvinder Singh Lovely in an expected triangular contest.
When asked about the other key issues, she is willing to take up after winning elections; Atishi said that there are many issues with that she is going to the voters.
Stressing that the development is only possible in Delhi after getting full Statehood, she highlighted the issue of safety and security in the constituency, saying, “Ensuring women safety is one of the major concern”.
“You cannot see police here. Does that mean that people living here do not need security? Whether it is rich or poor, safety is the issue for everyone,” she lamented, adding that people living in unauthorised colonies such as Trilokpuri, Kalyanpuri, Kundli etc are the worst affected if we talk about security. “Women living in these areas can tell you they cannot go out after dark, citing safety issue. Some of the issues that is related to safety need to be addressed and this could only be possible after Delhi become full State,” she said.
Highlighting prevalent crime in East Delhi, Atishi said you cannot see police patrolling van here but in other area of the city you can easily spot it. “Illicit alcohol is sold out in open, snatching is very common even in upper class areas such as Vasundhara Enclave and Mayur vihar,” she said, adding that these all can only be resolved after Delhi Police act under ambit of the Delhi Government.
On being asked whether reforms in school education will help her in the elections, the 37-year-old Oxford graduate said, “It will help for sure.There are two lakh children studying in government run schools in East Delhi alone. If you say these all are a family of three thus the number of voters becomes six lakh,” she said.
“There was time when children were forced to study in a dilapidated building, dirty toilet sand broken chairs and tables but with the construction of new buildings and introducing world class facilities, now they can stud y in a good environment,” she added.
On being asked who she thinks the strong contestant against her, she said the Congress seat is reserved for third place.
The BJP’s candidate is automatically out of the contest as people would not waste their votes knowing that his election will sooner or later would be cancelled, she said referring to the allegation against BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir that he has two voter identity cards.
Congress has been relegated to the third place in last four elections in Delhi and even in 2015 state assembly election, 90 per cent of their candidates lost security deposits, she said, adding that the party would met with same fate again all over.
Talking about whether alliance with Congress will cost the party, she said “We wanted alliance across India, not only in Delhi. We wanted alliance on potential seats where BJP could be stopped from winning.
We were in favour of alliance in 33 seats of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh but they did not agree,” she said, alleging that the Congress is all again
helping the BJP and doing everything to defeat the third front. She cited the example of Uttar Pradesh where Congress did not go with Samajwadi party and Bahujan Samajwadi party alliance in order to help the BJP.