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Sunita Rana, a 30-year-old housewife from Aya Nagar in New Delhi, stands up at the ‘mohalla sabha’ proceedings at Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya in Chattarpur Assembly constituency, demanding the severe water shortage in the locality be taken up on a priority basis.
Such scenes aren’t a rarity in the national capital, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s unique budget-making exercise in 11 select constituencies giving citizens the power to decide on the development work in their locality ‘mohallas’, within a budget of Rs 50 lakh. However, competing demands within a mohalla and a restricted budget has meant many have been left dissatisfied.
The AAP government’s promise of 20,000 litres of free water a month to all households means little to Sunita and her neighbour Madhu, who get piped water only once in 15 days and spend Rs 4,000 a month on buying water alone. With not many residents of their gully No. 8 turning up on Saturday, the removal of stagnant water in phase 4 of the locality was accorded precedence, as it bagged the most votes.
When residents said sewer lines were a dire necessity in the area, the district administration officer conducting the proceedings explained, “It needs a larger budget, much more than Rs 50 lakh. A project such as a neighbourhood park, a one-km road or a library would be feasible.”
“We don’t want a park or even a road; what we need are basic necessities such as drinking water and sewers,” shot back Sundar Bhatti, a social worker.
The AAP’s ‘Janta ka Budget’ exercise, is being conducted on a pilot basis across 11 constituencies, with an allocated budget of Rs 20 crore a constituency. This translates into Rs 50 lakh for each of the 40 mohallas.
While AAP workers, the area MLA and local councillors have been roped in to disseminate information to voters about the mohalla sabhas, the proceedings at the designated venue are conducted by government staff. Residents were identified through their voter ID cards and Aaadhar cards, after which they were handed forms to name one project they wanted completed in their area and to state their grievances. Once the projects are enlisted, voting is carried out and the development work that secures the highest number of votes is accorded priority.
A government official said the grievances would be forwarded to the departments concerned. Another official said, “There is a gap between their huge expectations and what we can deliver. Even the jobs that they have selected as priorities for their area will now be put through a feasibility study and expenditure formalities will have to be worked out.”
When an AAP worker present at the primary boys’ school, the venue at Ghitorni, tries to brush off the grievances voiced by a group of women, 60-year-old Mahavir, a milkman, quipped, “I have been living here since my birth. There is extreme water shortage. Even when we use boring and bore-well water, we have to bribe the local policeman, as it is not permitted. (Chief minister) Arvind Kejriwal’s promises of free water have meant nothing to us.”
Kasmiri, an elderly woman, isn’t deterred by the hot sun, ensuring all the women from her mohalla make it to the venue. And, prior strategising has helped — all the women have listed the need for water and a dispensary as the priorities here.
Asked whether they were pleased with the AAP’s exercise, another aged woman, Revati, responds, “We get water, when it does come into our homes, at 1 am at night. Then, we have to store it for days together. For the past two days, there has been no water. So, when I see these problems being solved, I can testify to the efficacy of this exercise.” Some of the other constituencies where this exercise has been conducted include, Dwarka, Chattarpur, Karawal Nagar, Okhla, Bawana and Patparganj.
PEOPLE POWER
- Eleven constituencies in Delhi selected on a random basis
- These are Kirari, Okhla, Bawana, Tilak Nagar, Chattarpur, Karawal Nagar, Patparganj, Dwarka, Shahdara, Sadar Bazaar and Shalimar Bagh
- 4-5 polling booths per mohalla sabha, with an average voting population of 4,000–5,000
- 35-40 mohalla sabhas being held per constituency
- A budget of Rs 20 crore has been allocated per constituency, with Rs 50 lakh for each of the 40 mohallas
- Cost of conducting a mohalla sabha is Rs 25,000 – Rs 30,000
