A year has gone by... all three MCDs are bracing for a change at the helm. The fixed tenure of a year for mayoral posts will draw to a close in the next couple of days. Three new faces for EDMC, SDMC and NDMC will soon emerge, as will new challenges.
Mayors are selected on a rotation basis — first year for women, second year open category and third year for reserved category and the remaining two years for open category again.
BJP candidate Vipin Bihari Singh, deputy mayor and councillor of Patparganj municipal ward, will replace incumbent EDMC Mayor, Neema Bhagat, on April 27.
City Spidey took this opportunity to grab a few quick bites from the EDMC mayor-to-be. Here are excerpts:
City Spidey: What is your roadmap ahead?
I have several plans to implement in the next one year, but a mayor cannot do anything alone. Support from councillors, committees and officials is crucial to implement any new policy to better civic services. A lot of changes have come about in the last one year, and many more are on the anvil.
City Spidey: Why has EDMC failed to provide better municipal services for its residents?
I accept civic services are very poor in East Delhi, but that does not mean that we have not done anything. EDMC is in huge financial crisis ever since it came into existence in 2012. Lack of revenue is the main issue plaguing the EDMC. I have few plans to improve revenue generation — like advertising, property taxes, multi-level parking. delhi news
I also blame the AAP-led Delhi government for not releasing its grant under the fourth finance commission. EDMC’s financial crisis would not be solved until the Delhi government implemented the fourth finance commission and released what’s due. Several petitions have been filed with Delhi High Court at different times.
City Spidey: Why is the garbage situation so bad despite the promises of a Swachh Bharat? Dhalaos in residential colonies are not cleaned for two-three?
As I said, improvement has come about in last one year. Number of auto-tippers has been increased. They are in use in every single colony. Also, waste segregation campaigns had been initiated in a few residential colonies. We are taking help of NGOs to make the waste-segregation campaign a success.
