Water, power on agenda as parties gear up for state polls

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) asked its members to list out the government’s achievements while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress took on the government over electricity bills and the alleged water crisis.

Warming up for the assembly elections scheduled to be held early next year, Delhi’s three major political parties held meetings with grassroots workers on Saturday .

Warming up for the assembly elections scheduled to be held early next year, Delhi’s three major political parties held meetings with grassroots workers on Saturday. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) asked its members to list out the government’s achievements while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress took on the government over electricity bills and the alleged water crisis.

Talking to representatives of different wings of AAP, Delhi unit convener Gopal Rai asked volunteers to remind residents of works done by the government. “Earlier people, used to mention garbage dumps as a landmark. But now, people talk about mohalla clinics. You will have to remind and convince people that desh mein Modi, toh dilli mein Kejriwal (Modi for the country, Kejriwal for Delhi),” he said in the meeting.

Rai asked party workers to highlight the AAP government’s proposal to offer free bus and metro rides to women, its free water scheme, 50% subsidy on power and projects undertaken by the public works department, which include installing 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras and foot over bridges with lifts.

BJP’s Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari, in a similar meeting, asked party workers to convey to residents the party would ensure clean piped drinking water at every house if it wins the assembly elections.

“Kejriwal failed to provide drinking water. After coming to power, the BJP will supply drinking water to every house through pipelines and fully solve this problem,” he said.

BJP leader Vijay Goel and representatives of two RWA federations on Saturday claimed the AAP government’s claim of keeping power tariff low was false.

“Electricity prices have shot up by 30% after fixed charges in electricity bills were increased last year. Barring the slab of 1kw, electricity prices have gone up in all the remaining slabs. The 1 kw slab is not significant enough because this slab is not used even in slums where people have television, fans, cooler, and heaters,” he said.

The Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) said it would hold demonstrations in all 70 Assembly constituencies on June 18 to protest the “severe power and water shortage”.

“All the residents’ welfare associations of Delhi will be invited to join the demonstrations. There a severe water shortage and the water being supplied is unfit for consumption,” said DPCC’s working president Haroon Yusuf.

Dismissing the allegations, AAP said power tariffs in Delhi continued to be lower than most metros. The party said it was wrong to see the water issue in isolation for Delhi because the problem is prevalent across India.

The Delhi Jal Board downplayed the matter. “There is no water crisis in Delhi. There might have been some issues in supply due to exceptionally high temperatures, which has increased the demand. The issues have been resolved and we are working on complaints 24x7,” said DJB vice-chairman Dinesh Mohania.