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Basic civic comforts for every taxpayer my priority, says Chandigarh mayor Saurabh Joshi
Joshi, a two-time councillor and a familiar voice in the municipal corporation, outlined his priorities for the city in the year ahead in a conversation with Hindustan Times
Newly elected Chandigarh mayor Saurabh Joshi, a two-time councillor and a familiar voice in the municipal corporation, outlined his priorities for the city in the year ahead in a conversation with Hindustan Times. Edited excerpts:
Q: What is the one major change that you would like to bring in the city?
A: MC is called “Nagar Nigam” for a reason, with the letters N-G-R (in Hindi) referring to Nal (tap water), Gattar (sewerage) and Road. I am not the one to make sweeping statements. My work will start from the ground up. Every resident should get clean drinking water, good sewerage facilities and high-quality roads to commute. I want to ensure basic civic comforts for every taxpayer.
Q: With the MC elections scheduled in December this year, the mayor’s tenure has been truncated to less than 10 months. The Opposition claims the mayor won’t be able to do much in this short time. Your take?
A: Time is no matter when there is a strong will to work. As a student, I would study for only two days before the exams and still score good marks. Even as the mayor, I will make things happen.
Q: Do you think the term of the Chandigarh mayor should be raised from one to five years?
A: Yes. A single year is too short to achieve long-term goals and planning in Chandigarh. If not five years, the mayor’s term should last for at least 30 months. Efforts are on in this direction and I am hopeful the mayor’s term will be increased.
Q: What are the real limitations that you are likely to face as the mayor since Chandigarh’s jurisdiction is shared with the UT administration, which is also the final authority?
A: I have been elected as the mayor by councillors, who have been elected directly by voters. The post of mayor is thus close to the people. I am ready to fight tooth and nail for them with the UT administration. Many issues raised by residents also concern the administration and I will take them up for resolution.
Q: The fate of the 24x7 water supply project remains in limbo. Also, the deadline for clearing legacy waste at Dadumajra has been missed four times. Your take?
A: It has already been decided that water pipelines in Chandigarh will be changed in a phased manner. There is no dearth of funds with MC now and we have also received increased funding in the annual budgetary allocation. I am also cognisant of the health issues faced by Dadumajra residents due to the landfill and will do something in this regard.
Q: With the Metro project stalled and the number of vehicles increasing exponentially, what is your solution to the growing traffic woes in the city?
A: An underpass is the simplest solution to burgeoning traffic on main roads. If underpasses are created between Sectors 16 and 10, Sectors 17 and 9, Sectors 18 and 8, the volume of traffic on Madhya Marg will naturally decrease. Architect Le Corbusier made an underpass between Sector 15 and 11 decades ago and it still serves the city well. We can replicate the model to ease out traffic congestion.
