L-G Najeeb Jung halting vacuum cleaning of roads: Kejriwal

Kejriwal said in a press conference that the clarifications sought are unnecessary and aimed at ‘stalling the initiative’. The L-G office offered no comment.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday alleged that lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung is obstructing efforts to start vacuum cleaning of city roads by raising “unnecessary” questions related to the anti-pollution measure.

PWD workers clean a road with mechanized vacuum sweepers near Mayur Vihar in east Delhi. The Delhi government had assured the Supreme Court that it will start vacuum cleaning the roads to curb dust pollution. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

The lieutenant governor’s office has directed the Delhi government to send a fresh proposal with a “more detailed examination from legal, administrative and financial point of view detailing all implications for all stake holders”.

Kejriwal said in a press conference that the clarifications sought are unnecessary and aimed at ‘stalling the initiative’. The L-G office offered no comment.

The drive is one of the measures the Delhi government told the Supreme Court it will be implementing to curb pollution that reached alarming levels around Diwali. The idea was mooted for the first time last winter and was executed briefly till the monsoon.

“The very nature of the clarifications sought by L-G makes it clear they are aimed at stalling the initiative…In a way, attempts to delay its execution is contempt of court,” said Kejriwal at a press conference.

The chief minister also shared a copy of the specific questions raised by the L-G office. “Which roads will exactly be covered by the proposal? What exactly is the role of PWD as on date in respect of these roads? The roads vests in which agency as on date and which agency is in charge of sweeping and parking function for these roads,” the communication reads.

“As pointed out by a number of departments, sweeping and parking activities are function of municipal corporations as per the DMC Act. Who is the competent authority to ratify takeover of these functions by the Public Works Department (PWD) from the municipal corporations? Specific opinion of the law department on the issue may be obtained,” it said.

The chief minister said his deputy, Manish Sisodia, will meet Jung next week and give all relevant clarifications on the issue.