MCD polls not about ‘Kuda vs Dhuan’, but ‘water and waste control’: Satish Upadhyay

By Deepika Rathor

New Delhi, Nov 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) Vice Chairman and BJP's MCD manifesto committee chief Satish Upadhyay said that the civic polls in the national capital will be about "water vs. waste management".

"Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been raising questions on landfill sites but are unaware of our 'Master Plan' for it. Instead, we ask them what are their plans for filthy or no water and Yamuna cleaning," he said.

In view of the upcoming MCD elections and other related issues, IANS spoke to Upadhyay.

Excerpts:

Q: AAP has been attacking the BJP over the works done by the MCD during recent years. What's your stand?

A: The MCD always have its report card in hands. We have world class schools, we provided better infrastructure in Delhi. They are asking about landfill sites. Landfill sites are everywhere in the country, and in Delhi, we are working on it. Even 20 metres (of waste) are already managed.

I want to ask Chief Minister (Arvind) Kerjiwal to tell us he promised 1,000 Mohalla clinics, where are they? He promised 500 schools, where are they? We have made impactful changes in Delhi. We have given good governance in MCD. We introduced better facilities like digitalisation.

They talk about Mohalla clinic, we are running 170 maternity centres... We have set a target to manage the landfill site by 2024. This will be in our manifesto too.

Q: As we can see this contest is about 'Kuda vs. Dhuan', what's your comment on this?

A: I will say this is not 'Kuda vs. Dhuan' this is 'water vs. waste management'.

In joint efforts with Pusa, we have controlled the incidents of stubble burning. Why is Punjab not implementing the same (measure)? Why the incidents of stubble burning has doubled in Punjab?

Now, when Delhi is choking, you (Kejriwal) are busy in political tour to Himachal and Gujarat for elections. He is MLA from New Delhi, what have you done for New Delhi so far? How much you have spent in your constituency?

Q: What achievements you are highlighting while seeking votes for the elections?

A: There are many; like our people-friendly policies, sanitisation that we have done in Delhi, we have made many community centres, open gyms... there is no area where we have not worked, but AAP has done nothing and just defaming us by not giving us funds.

During Covid time, our MCD workers were on roads to keep city clean and safe, they sanitised streets regularly, collected garbage and waste.

In future also, we will come up with many 'out of the box' ideas, we will set single window system, we focus more on women safety, we will set up more open gyms and much more.

Q: Though the Congress is also in the race, but it seems that the key contest in polls will be between the AAP and the BJP. Your comments?

A: The Congress is losing existence in the entire country including Delhi. It should do introspection on this. They should think how they have ruined the country in last many years, how they have failed in delivering good governance, and how they promoted corruption.

Source: IANS