Ego curtails efforts, states Manish Sisodia
For Delhi’s Urban Development, PWD and Education Minister, Manish Sisodia, governance has come as an opportunity of a lifetime — the only chance to turn his party’s vision into a reality. A firm believer in the concept of Swaraj, he feels that the real energy of effective governance lies within the local bodies. In conversation with Sweta Goswami, Sisodia talks of his agenda and his association with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal
Out of the five departments you handle, which tops your priority listIJ
I prefer giving each one equal priority. Infrastructural work should be done with finesse. When it comes to education, I am working towards ensuring proper delivery of facilities and bringing in reforms. Under urban development, I am focussing on drafting a mohalla sabha law, regularising unauthorised colonies and making of a policy for slums and their rehabilitation. Work in all departments will be taken up simultaneously.
Your manifesto promises of establishing 500 schools in the city. What is your plan and how quickly will it be executedIJ
Building 500 schools will take time. Delhi already has nearly 500 Government schools and 195 schools are in the pipeline. So my primary focus is to open these schools at the earliest. The plans of these 195 schools are stuck in the DDA, MCD, or in the fire department. Files remain stuck for years as they are only passed from one official to another. So I call officials of different departments together where they meet face to face. That way, issues are solved then and there. Till now I have had such meetings with all the concerned departments even if they are beyond my jurisdiction.
You are talking about mohalla sabhas, governance in Delhi becomes challenging because of multiplicity of authority. How do you plan to deal with this issueIJ
Yes, multiplicity of authority is a big challenge. But that is why we are determined to bring in the culture of mohalla sabha. The Urban Development ministry is actively working on drafting the bill. Be it for the cause of the homeless or policy for slums, issues like these will be easily solved at the local level. There are several authorities which come under the Central Government which is not in our hands. We will show a model of clear governance.
What is your agenda for the Capital in terms of development and infrastructureIJ
Delhi has to be a clean and beautiful city. It should be city which cares for everybody and when I say ‘everybody’, I mean it literally.
After announcing to open 100 night shelters, what is your next agenda as Urban Development MinisterIJ What about the slumsIJ
We are reviewing on rehabilitation for slum dwellers. My Ministry has already started working on the draft bill. We will bring the bill to the public for discussions and then will pass it in the Cabinet. There are a couple of homes already, we are deciding on issues like which people should be shifted there and how do we shift. It’s just eight days since I assumed office, everything is in a premature stage. Redevelopment and resettlement of slums is a big issue for us and we plan things only after thorough deliberations.
Tell us about your association with Kejriwal, being his close aide.
I am just a soldier. Kejriwal is a good friend of mine. We are friends for the past 15 years. What works for the two of us is that we think on the same lines.
That’s our beauty. We have a sound level of understanding. Mistakes are committed by everyone. But if he does something or vice versa, we know it was done with good intention.
How has your experience been so farIJ
It has been full of ups and downs. Getting into politics still has to sink in completely. I realised that to be a politician, a person has to be totally dissolved in what he is doing.
The biggest thing I learnt is that one needs to give up on ego. If ego comes in between, people will stop believing in you.