New Delhi, Feb 28 – Delhi BJP MLAs on Friday brought pressing constituency-specific issues to the forefront during the ongoing Assembly session, highlighting concerns such as drug abuse, traffic congestion, deteriorating sewage infrastructure, and challenges in tree maintenance.
Under Rule 280 of the Delhi Assembly's Rules of Procedure, legislators can raise local matters through 'Special Mention' to draw the government's attention to urgent problems affecting residents.
Rising Drug Abuse in Delhi
Rithala MLA Kulwant Rana expressed deep concern over the increasing drug abuse in his constituency, attributing the rise to the governance of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab since 2022. He alleged that the availability of dry intoxicants had surged, calling for strict intervention in coordination with Delhi Police to curb the menace.Tree-Trimming Challenges Due to NGT Orders
Greater Kailash MLA Shikha Rai pointed out the bureaucratic hurdles in trimming overgrown trees due to the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) directives. She noted that obtaining permission from the forest department was nearly impossible, even in cases where trees were encroaching into homes. She urged the government to find a balanced approach to address this issue.Sewer Infrastructure and School Deterioration
Mustafabad MLA Mohan Singh Bisht criticized the poor quality of sewer lines laid during the previous AAP administration, demanding an investigation and the installation of new pipelines to prevent further infrastructural failures.Similarly, Patparganj MLA Ravinder Singh Negi raised concerns about the deteriorating condition of schools once touted as 'model schools.' He alleged that girls' toilets lacked locks, students were deprived of clean drinking water, and irregularities persisted in playground construction and mid-day meal services.
Traffic Congestion and Infrastructure Demands
Chhatarpur MLA Kartar Singh Tanwar emphasized the urgent need for flyovers to ease severe traffic congestion in his constituency, calling for immediate government action.Sewage and Water Woes Among Top Concerns
Across the Assembly session, multiple BJP MLAs raised concerns about poor sewage systems and contaminated drinking water, urging the ministers to address these pressing civic issues without delay.BJP's Return to Power and AAP's Suspension
The maiden session of the newly-elected 70-member Delhi Assembly is underway following the BJP's return to power after 26 years. The party secured a landslide victory with 48 seats, while the AAP was reduced to 22 seats after ruling the capital for the past decade.Tensions flared in the Assembly earlier this week when 21 out of 22 AAP MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Atishi, were suspended for disrupting the lieutenant governor's inaugural address. The protest erupted over allegations that portraits of B. R. Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh had been removed from the office of newly-appointed Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
With civic concerns dominating the Assembly debates, BJP legislators are pushing for swift resolutions to long-standing issues affecting Delhi residents.