A 24×7 operational network of residents to address their complaints related to security, water, electricity, sanitation, taxation sounds like a dream come true. Such a model was implemented in our Malviya Nagar Constituency but all it has achieved is a direct line of communication between the elected representative and the people of the constituency. The same complaints from same addresses continue to appear on the groups and have only been resolved temporarily each time to crop up again and again.
Implementing a new model of governance like the Mohalla Sabha had to come with its own set of challenges. One wonders how would a sanitation inspector or an engineer at DJB work differently, neither was he efficiently addressing the complaint received directly and nor through the Mohalla Sabha Model. The officers still don’t want to change and continue with their archaic styled working. What was required was making the existing complaint redressal process at various government bodies including DJB and MCD more effective with long term solutions for people’s problems. These reforms never took off even now when the same party is in power in Delhi Legislative Assembly and MCD.
Whether it is MCD, PWD or DJB, they are all the cogs of the same punctured wheel which refused to move. The Mohalla Sabha model just added another layer between the people and the government agency but the complaints have only gone up with no permanent resolution in sight even after 9 years.
Some examples, based on my personal experience, were sighted in 2019 in one of my written piece (especially of low budget repair/replacement works) and they remain where they were:
Pruning of trees by PWD
When pruning of trees had to be carried out by PWD along the Deer Park on Jhandu Singh Marg, we had to follow up for weeks and still no proper pruning has been carried out till date. The same has been the case with most of the areas in the constituency. This being a work where no additional budgets are allocated, the fixed contractor and the PWD staff are least interested in carrying it out. In 2023, Pruning work still never happens whereas chopping of trees is rampant.
Stopping the cutting of Trees
While the department of forest comes under the Delhi Government and grants permission to cut/prune trees, the tree pruning/cutting are carried out by MCD/PWD depending on the area the tree(s) fall in. Due to this yet another convulated structure, getting to stop builders and big construction companies from cutting trees becomes a herculean task. With Delhi on ventilator and AQI at alarming levels, a common citizen of Delhi is still struggling to save even a single tree outside or in his vicinity from being chopped. In 2023, when same party is in power even in MCD, trees are being cut even more rampantly with MCD staff and forest department working hand in glove.
d. Relaying of roads, pedestrian ways and back lanes after completion of requisitioned works by Private/Government Agencies
It is pertinent that whatever part of the public land is taken for any work should be handed back in the same condition as it was when the work started. Despite repeated requests, there is not a single area in entire Malviya Nagar Constituency in 9 years which has been handed over the way it was prior to work commencement. In 2023, opposite my house in B-4 block, BSES carried out some wire laying and despite requests for removal of debris and relaying of tiles, they absconded without doing the same.
Water issues
Supply of regular water and resolution of sewer mixing at regular intervals is still a big issue with people. Even in 2023, we are only receiving tankers and repeatedly complaining when sewage gets mixed in our water.
Illegal Encroachments
People kept complaining and promises kept getting made but nothing happened in this area also. Encroachments in all the markets remain where they are. Earlier the MCD was blamed by the Delhi government but now with MCD also under their belt, they have no excuse to make. In 2023, Still encroachments are only increasing.
Mohalla Sabha experiment might be currently restricted to a legislative assembly constituency in Delhi for now but it surely exposes the system prevailing across cities and towns pan India. Some of the pertinent issues which continue to break down our system are age old and need resolution. The experiment has exposed the system and ensured that every single complaint of a resident comes out in the open. Complaints are being made by the residents and are getting segregated department wise, area wise down to the concerned official but a solution is not being provided to most of the problems, leave aside a permanent one.
Inefficiencies of the staff involved in civil works/repairs need to be removed and understaffing in certain departments also needs to be addressed. Even in 2023 with the same party running the MCD and Delhi assembly all this is still a piped dream even after 9 years.
While ex-member parliament/legislative assembly and ministers at state level/center level continue to blame the current system of governance, we need to also question them, what they did during their tenure. Accountability has to be fixed and people need to bring their elected members to task. Even the salaried officials of the departments under discussion cannot take their work lightly, position for granted and need to be assessed to ensure that they are made to answer their shortcomings.
It calls for an assessment debate across assembly and parliamentary constituencies PAN India where MPs, MLAs, concerned department officers dealing with essential services should answer people’s questions on what they promised and what they have delivered. An evaluation PowerPoint seems to be the need of the hour for people to know the gap between “what was promised” and “what has been delivered”.
