Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, along with other members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Minister Gopal Rai, conducted inspections in various areas of Delhi on Monday. The inspections, particularly focused on the Okhla area, are part of a broader initiative by the Delhi government to assess and repair the city’s roads, which have come under scrutiny for their poor state.
A Comprehensive Road Assessment Plan
As part of the Delhi government’s strategic road assessment and repair plan, Chief Minister Atishi announced that specific AAP ministers have been designated to oversee different regions of the city. Atishi herself will supervise road conditions in South and South East Delhi, while other ministers have been assigned various responsibilities: Saurabh Bharadwaj will manage East Delhi, Gopal Rai will oversee North East Delhi, Imran Hussain is responsible for Central and New Delhi, Kailash Gehlot will handle South West and Outer Delhi, and Mukesh Shehrawat will monitor North West Delhi.
Former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal joined Atishi in inspecting several roads, emphasizing the importance of having a comprehensive report on all Public Works Department (PWD) roads. During this visit, Kejriwal delivered a letter to Atishi in the state assembly, urging immediate action on the repair of damaged roads.
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A Call to Action for Urgent Repairs
After inspecting the roads in Okhla, Atishi addressed the media, stating, “For two days, Arvind Kejriwal and I inspected the roads of Delhi and found that the condition of roads is very bad… Arvind Kejriwal has given a call to all the party MLAs and ministers to work towards restoring the roads of Delhi at the earliest. Every inch of the 1,400 km stretched PWD roads will be inspected. In the next three to four months, all roads will be restored. We will try to give pothole-free roads to the people of Delhi by Diwali. The opposition did everything it could to stop us from working. Now that Arvind Kejriwal is out of jail, we will work under his guidance.”
Addressing Specific Areas of Concern
As part of the initiative, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Manish Sisodia inspected roads in the Patparganj area, where they noted significant issues. “On the instructions of Arvind Kejriwal, I and Saurabh Bharadwaj inspected a few roads of Delhi. We observed that many roads were in bad condition. In some places, work was ongoing, and the road had been dug up for the last 7-8 months. Potholes have been left open in some places. We will work on it, and the roads will be renovated. BJP has destroyed all the roads of Delhi to trouble the people of Delhi… Now that Arvind Kejriwal is back, all the pending work will be completed quickly… Arvind Kejriwal has instructed the CM as well as all ministers to work on a war footing and address the conditions of roads in Delhi,” Sisodia remarked to the press.
Impact of Political Developments on Infrastructure
Gopal Rai, who inspected the condition of roads in Babarpur, North East Delhi, highlighted how the situation worsened during Kejriwal’s incarceration. “After the rains in Delhi, potholes have formed on the roads everywhere. Ever since they put Arvind Kejriwal in jail, the condition of Delhi’s roads has worsened. We ourselves decided that we will inspect the roads and get them repaired as soon as possible,” Rai said during a media briefing.
Kejriwal had previously assured residents that the work that had stalled during his absence would now resume. He called for a city-wide assessment of the roads, with all legislators and ministers participating in the inspection and repair efforts within the next few days.
Commitment to Rapid Repairs
“I visited DU with Atishi yesterday as well. The road was damaged. Today, we have come here. So, I would like to urge Atishi to have an assessment of all the PWD roads in Delhi in the next 3-4 days. All our MLAs and ministers will hit the road and have this assessment. Repair work on all the damaged roads will be done on a war footing in the next few months so that people do not face any problems. I was in jail, and that is why they stopped a lot of works, but I would like to assure the people that I am here. All halted works will resume,” Kejriwal stated, reiterating his commitment to restoring the city’s infrastructure.
