Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi on May 25, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) South Delhi candidate Sahiram Pahalwan has said that several initiatives are yet to be implemented by his party as the files are pending with Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
In an interview with Patriot, Pahalwan underlined several initiatives undertaken by AAP, as well as, their action plan for addressing problems persisting in the South Delhi constituency.
Pahalwan said that work conducted by the elected representatives regarding transportation and water supply in South Delhi, has often lacked proper planning.
To tackle these issues effectively, he plans to convene meetings with relevant officials and local residents who are directly affected. Through these consultations, they aim to devise concrete solutions that will bring about meaningful improvements.
Pahalwan also emphasised on the numerous efforts initiated by AAP to combat air and water pollution in the constituency.
However, he noted that their actions are subject to approval from the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi, who has sometimes posed challenges. Despite the hurdles, Pahalwan remains committed to finding effective solutions and continuing the fight against pollution.
Pahalwan said that AAP has already provided essential amenities such as free electricity, water, and toilets in Jhuggi Jhopdi clusters of South Delhi.
He also mentioned a successful High Court petition filed by him, which mandates that JJ clusters be relocated within a 5-kilometer radius upon removal. This aims to balance development needs with the welfare of the affected communities.
Pahalwan slammed Central government’s previous claims about these areas lacking basic facilities like water connections, sewer lines, and proper roads. He asserted that the AAP government has now provided all these amenities, and challenged the Central government to justify why they are not regularising the clusters given the improvements.
Water scarcity in JJ clusters is another pressing concern.
Pahalwan mentioned Chief Minister Ar vind Kejriwal’s proposal to install water boards and reverse osmosis (RO) systems to ensure a steady water supply to these colonies. He, however, noted that the implementation of this scheme has been stalled by the Lieutenant Governor. Once permission is granted, the AAP is ready to proceed with the necessary installations to address the water scarcity issue comprehensively, he said.
In his closing remarks, Pahalwan made an emotional appeal to the people of South Delhi. He condemned the actions of BJP, which he claimed has unjustly targetted CM Kejriwal, putting him behind bars.
Pahalwan urged the residents to recognise the efforts of Kejriwal over the past nine years and to stand by him in these challenging times.
