The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) lashed out at Delhi LG for stealing credit for the work of the CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government. AAP Chief Spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj stated that the Delhi government’s work was being undermined by the LG’s efforts to get his photo ops and claim credit for projects that were not his own. The Delhi Government is working tirelessly for the welfare of Delhiites under the leadership of Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal. However, Lieutenant Governor (LG) has been taking credit for the work being done by various departments of the Delhi Government.
Giving a list of works being done by the Kejriwal Government, AAP’s Chief Spokesperson Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj invited the LG to visit the project sites and take credit for the works by getting his photo clicked. The list includes a bus depot to be built in Narela, 100 mohalla buses to start this month, 20 mohalla clinics built in different areas, a newly constructed east campus of IP University, 100 room school in Kondli, two new blocks of DTU, Sanjay and Smriti Van lake. Shri Bhardwaj said that the LG may visit these places and take credit by cutting the ribbon. He said that lacking scientific know-how, LG put pressure on the officers and got the plants along with polythene planted in water in the floating wetland on the supplementary drain. “It’s a waste of plants and money. Wrong and illegal activity is being done in haste just to show off. LG is claiming to clean the Yamuna by June 30, which cannot be done until the sewer treatment plants work at full capacity,” he said.
Shri Saurabh Bhardwaj, while addressing a press conference at the party headquarters on Monday, said that LG is trying to take credit for the works done by the Delhi Government. “We realised that the LG would have to put in a lot of effort to find out what ideas and technologies the Delhi Government is working on under the leadership of elected Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal.” LG calls the officers of the departments and asks about the type and location of the work taking place. After this, LG makes his own program to visit the sites and get photographs clicked by the media. While visiting these sites he says that this is his work, which causes loss to the Delhi government.
Citing the example of the supplementary drain, a floating wetland has been created on the supplementary drain to clean the polluted water. These floating wetlands are made from bamboo and floating plants are planted on them so that the roots of those plants remain submerged in water. The roots absorb the pollutants present inside the water, cleaning it. This is the scientific method. Shri Bhardwaj said that yesterday the LG went to the supplementary drain and put pressure on the officers. Due to the pressure of LG, the officers planted saplings along with plastic bags on the floating wetland, which was also tweeted by him. The plants are hanging in the water along with the plastic bag. Due to this, all those plants will die and the water will become more polluted because its soil and bag will go into the drain water. This will also result in a loss of money.
Shri Bhardwaj said, “We want to help the LG by showing him the good projects being run by the Kejriwal Government at various places in Delhi so that he can go there and take the credit. We will call CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal on those projects only when the work is complete. Before this, LG should go there and get some photographs clicked and take credit for getting the work done. We don’t have any problem with it.”
Under the leadership of CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal, a bus depot is being built in Narela on 10 acres of land. Bus depots are being built at Kapashera, East Vinod Nagar and other places. The Transport Department of the Delhi Government is getting the depot constructed. LG should go there and put a name plate, taking the credit, said Shri Bhardwaj.
Delhi Government is going to start 100 electric buses in the next month. These buses will be known as Mohalla Buses. Shri Bhardwaj said that these buses will be parked in the depot and LG can go out there as well to take the credit. About 20 mohalla clinics are ready in different areas of Delhi. CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal may go and cut the ribbon after a few days, but before that, the LG can go there and cut the ribbon in his name and take credit, he said.
To this, he further said, “Education Minister Atishi is going to visit the East Delhi Campus of IP University. Probably she is going to go there this Thursday but LG can go there on Tuesday or Wednesday and cut the ribbon and take credit for building the campus.”
A new school building has been constructed inside Gharoli, Kondli, in which 100 rooms have been made. Since the Education Minister lacks time to visit the school, LG can visit here as well and get his photo clicked with the building. The photo will be published in the newspapers and make the public feel that he has got that building constructed, stated Shri Bhardwaj.
Time has been sought from CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal for the inauguration of Jodhabai Sarvodaya School. Apart from this, two blocks from Delhi Technical University are ready, but CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal is not able to go there for the time being. “But before the arrival of the Chief Minister, the LG should quietly call the officers of the Education Department and reach there. Due to this, the people of Delhi will feel that these blocks of the University have been built by him”, remarked Shri Bhardwaj.
He said, “It is very easy for LG to take credit. You just have to visit the sites and click photos. Whether you believe in an engineering degree or not, when you go on an engineering project, you wear a white engineering cap. I have seen, LG also wears a white cap when he goes on engineering projects. He feels good that he is also an engineer among engineers.”
He said that the LG is claiming that he will clean the Yamuna by June 30. But Yamuna gets cleaned only when the work of the sewer treatment plant of the Delhi government gets completed. “CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal is getting the work of the sewer treatment plant done. LG must be feeling that Yamuna will be cleaned only by cleaning the drains, however, this is not the case. Till the time the sewer treatment plants do not work to their full capacity, the Yamuna will not be cleaned. LG will not be able to get credit for cleaning the Yamuna just by cleaning the drains. That’s why LG should know the location the Delhi Government is building sewer treatment plants,” he said.
To this, he added, “We are increasing the capacity and quality of all sewer treatment plants. The treatment plants are being built by the Delhi government at Pappan Kalan and Nilokheri at a cost of Rs 598 crore. There was a provision for this in the budget and the work is going on. LG can go there and make the people of Delhi feel that he is getting such big projects done.”
Apart from this, the work of the Rs 567 crore plant is going on in Najafgarh, Keshavpur-1, Keshavpur-2, Keshavpur-3, which will be completed by December 2023. A project worth Rs 481 crore is underway in Rohini, Narela, and Coronation Pillar. The budget for these projects has been allotted by CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal and will be completed by December 2023. Here too, LG should visit with the media and get his photographs clicked, stated Shri Bhardwaj.
He further said, “A few days ago LG went to Sanjay Lake in East Delhi and said that within a few days, there will be a living lake there. However, the work of Sanjay Lake is being done by the Delhi Jal Board to get clean water from the sewer treatment plant.”
To this, he added that LG went to Sanjay Lake but did not visit the DDA’s Smriti Van, which is near the lake. Delhi Jal Board is also working on Smriti Van and a lake is being built there, in which clean water will be filled. LG doesn’t have to get any work done and neither does it have to get its proposal made. There is no provision for tender, budget etc. for the project. We are inviting him to take credit for all the work being done by the Delhi Government under the leadership of CM Arvind Kejriwal. I will keep coming in between to tell what other work the Delhi Government is going to do.”
During the press conference and answering the questions of the media, the AAP’s Chief Spokesperson said that according to the LG, a degree is a receipt for spending money. By saying this, the LG accepted that it does not matter if the Prime Minister does not have a degree. Thus, the Aam Aadmi Party and the whole country want to know from where the LG gets a degree by paying money and which Chief Minister or Prime Minister has obtained a degree by paying money. Is that why the University is nervous about showing the degree? Shri Bhardwaj said that LG should answer these questions.
