Express Interview | After 12 years of bad streets, AAP MLA’s answer is a ‘dharna’

Twelve years after his initial election, a Delhi Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA faces rising anger from residents in the Burari constituency due to poor road conditions. Sanjeev Jha, the MLA, acknowledged the discontent and explained that it stemmed from residents' perception that his party failed to maintain the roads they had previously improved during its ten-year tenure.

Jha attributed the current crisis to delays in sewer work and coordination issues between government agencies following a government change. He claimed that road work had been stalled around the election period and resumed only after February 25, causing significant distress to residents. Jha met with various officials, including PWD secretaries and ministers, to push for the work, but a dispute over pending work led to months of delay.

He estimated that rebuilding the roads would cost around Rs 110-115 crore, far beyond his MLA fund of Rs 5 crore. Jha said a drain tender had been issued, and a Rs 3 crore road strengthening tender was underway, with officials promising tenders would be awarded within 20-25 days and roads constructed within 1.5 to two months. If the work wasn't completed in two months, Jha threatened to stage a protest outside the Chief Minister's and PWD Minister's residences, claiming the government should take responsibility for the issue instead of the MLA.

Jha also highlighted the water shortage and contaminated water issues in Burari, caused by old pipelines, leakages, and damage during sewer work. He said a complete overhaul of the pipelines and increasing the total water supply were necessary to address the problem.