NEW DELHI: Quammruddin Nagar is nestled in the chaos of Nangloi in west Delhi. While dusty roads and poor sanitary conditions are hallmarks of this constituency, this ward is disadvantaged in more ways than one. The ward is comprised of unauthorised colonies where the municipal corporation is not bound to extend civic amenities. This makes the municipal bypoll in May a comic exercise.
After all the elected
councillor
is only a figurehead with no power to deploy funds for development projects. Understandably, the 86,902
voters
in the underdeveloped ward — which covers Shivram Park, Nihal Vihar, parts of Adhyapak Nagar, Ambika Enclave and Yadav Park Extension —know the bitter truth that there is no point in turning up to cast a vote next month.
Raghuvinder Shokeen, twice councillor of Quammruddin Nagar and sitting AAP
MLA of Nangloi Jat assembly constituency, wasted no words when he said, “Why have a municipal councillor when he has no powers?” According to data uploaded on the North Delhi Municipal Corporation’s website, between 2012 and 2015 the amount utilised from the councillor’s fund was Rs 49 lakh, Rs 9 lakh, Rs 21 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively, all for electrical work! Shokeen said that he used around Rs 40 lakh from his MLA local area development fund to build two dhalaos and toilet blocks in one of the
MCD schools there. “I got the MCD to start a school five years ago in a portacabin on my own plot in Nihal Vihar,” he said. He added that a dhalao is under construction near Nihal Vihar.
The Bhatti Mines ward is similarly disconnected from the civic amenities enjoyed by urban areas. Bhatti village has no civic infrastructure and no development work has been initiated in the past few years. The primary school run by the South Corporation has no water supply, the building itself is surrounded by garbage. “The colony stinks all the time and open defecation raises the risk of an epidemic. We have to travel at least 10 km to buy medicines,” said Sarita Devi, a resident. South Corporation officials claim funds are allocated for development projects every year, but very little is utilised.