Kejriwal’s poll promises to RWAs: mini-councillor status, funds

The Delhi chief minister, who is also the AAP chief, said the move will help people get problems related to electricity, water, drainage and roads resolved at RWA offices itself.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will grant resident welfare associations (RWAs) “mini councillor” status and empower them financially if elected to power in the December 4 municipal elections, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday as he promised that the people of the Capital will decide the civic body’s policies.

Delhi chief minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal greets supporters during a door-to-door election campaign for the upcoming MCD elections, at Chirag Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI)

Kejriwal said the move will help people get problems related to electricity, water, drainage and roads resolved at RWA offices itself.

“People of Delhi will be empowered to run the MCD on their own and every RWA of Delhi will get ‘mini councillor’ status. We plan to hand to the public the power of Delhi’s civic governance. Every resident of Delhi will also be a chief minister of Delhi. People will decide the MCD’s policies and the government will work on their orders,” Kejriwal said during a press conference, as he unveiled the “Janta Chalayegi MCD” (public will run MCD) programme.

The announcement comes five days before Delhi votes to elect 250 councillors to the Civic Centre on December 4. The ballots will be counted on December 7, in what is likely to be a bipolar contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has governed the civic bodies for 15 years, and the AAP, which has governed the Capital for seven years.

Experts have said the BJP will have to battle anti-incumbency and stave off the AAP, which has focussed its campaign on highlighting Delhi’s garbage mess, alleged corruption in the civic bodies, and promised to flatten the city’s three landfills.

Delhi has hundreds of thousands of RWAs, most of which are registered under the Societies Act of 1860. They comprise an elected body that resolves hyper-local issues inside housing societies.

Some resident welfare groups in the city welcomed the move, as others questioned why the AAP, which has been in power in the state since 2015, has not implemented such a move earlier.

Rajiv Kakria, a member of the Greater Kailash-I RWA, said the idea will lead to long-term results.

“But a new Societies Act needs to be put in place with more stringent guidelines and registration processes,” said Kakria.

Atul Goyal, who heads URJA (United RWAs Joint Action — a federation of several Delhi RWAs) said residents’ groups should be disjunct from political developments.

“Making RWAs the torchbearers of the AAP is an objectionable matter. RWAs have been apolitical and will remain so in future,” said Goyal.

Chetan Sharma, founder and general secretary of the Confederation of NCR residents Welfare Association, said he welcomed the move if implemented in earnest.

“Now that the election is around the corner, the CM has raised the issue. The Delhi government does not currently financially support the RWAs. It gives some funds to RWAs registered with Delhi government’s parks and garden society for the upkeep of parks, but not a general fund for general maintenance,” said Sharma.

BJP spokespersons did not respond to requests seeking comment on the matter.

During the launch, Kejriwal assured residents the scheme will function transparently.

“When we give money to RWAs to run their offices, we will also make a system such that the government, MLA and councillors can look into the demands and complaints of the people and hold RWAs accountable for their work,” Kejriwal said.