New Delhi: With Delhi finishing at 398th in Swachch Bharat ranking, mayors of two of BJP-ruled municipal corporations, today sought to pass the buck to the AAP dispensation, saying the civic bodies only provide one-third of civic services, while the rest is done by the government.
“For sanitation in Delhi, the city government’s role is much larger than that of municipal corporations. While the corporation provides only 35 per cent of services, the rest 65 per cent is from various departments of the government,” South Delhi Mayor Subhash Arya said.
He claimed that 97 per cent of city population comes under the jurisdiction of MCD-occupied areas but various agencies as DUSIB, PWD, DJB and Rural Board are with the Delhi government.
He said the development work in unauthorised colonies, rural areas, slums is carried out by these agencies, so “responsibility” of poor sanitary conditions in Delhi “lies with the state government”.
North Delhi Mayor Ravinder Gupta Mayor also blamed the Arvind Kejriwal-led government for not doing their work properly and “not letting others perform their duties”.
“They create problems just to prove their presence and for gaining cheap publicity,” Gupta alleged.
He added that Delhi had been adjudged the second-best in Asia in the year 2011 in a survey done by Siemens Asia in 22 cities of the continent for solid waste management.
“What went wrong? It is the governance of the city government run by the AAP that has made the situation worse,” he asked.
The AAP government had earlier held the three BJP-led corporations responsible for the “civic mess the city is in.”
All three corporations had earmarked separate funds for Swachch Bharat drive and had actively promoted the Centre’s campaign, considered one of Prime Minister Modi’s pet projects.
The Swachch Bharat ranking was topped by Mysore.
PTI