No laxity in the maintenance and cleanliness of Chandni Chowk will be tolerated, officers will be punished if misconduct found: Dy CM Manish Sisodia
Chandni Chowk is our cultural heritage, combined efforts of all agencies needed to preserve it: Dy CM Manish Sisodia
NEW DELHI:
In order to preserve the cultural heritage of Delhi, a unique initiative for beautification of Chandni Chowk was undertaken by the Kejriwal Government over the years. Deputy Chief Minister Shri Manish Sisodia conducted a surprise inspection of the 1.4 km road, stretching from Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid and took stock of its maintenance. During the inspection, the Deputy Chief Minister reprimanded the concerned authority for not ensuring adequate standards of cleanliness.
During the inspection, it was found that the concerned agency has been negligent in its work of cleaning and maintaining the road stretch. Additionally, it was observed that the boom-barriers installed in the area were also not functional. Motor vehicles are prohibited on this stretch of the road, however because of police negligence, movement of two-wheeler motor vehicles was noted. The number of cycle-rickshaws on the entire stretch has also increased significantly. Under the initiative of renovation and beautification of Chandni Chowk, all overhead wires were replaced by an underground wiring system on this stretch one. It was noted that new overhead wires had been installed at some places.
Noting these developments, Shri Manish Sisodia said that Chandni Chowk provides global recognition to Delhi. In order to preserve this cultural heritage, a renovation and beautification initiative was undertaken by the government. However, renovation and beautification is not a one-time effort. It is equally important to ensure that it is adequately maintained thereafter and everyone needs to work together in that direction. It is only with the combined efforts of all the agencies, this cultural heritage can be preserved.
During the renovation and beautification of Chandni Chowk, the Delhi Government has taken basic facilities for the tourists into consideration. No stone has been left unturned to make Chandni Chowk beautiful, as well as arrangements have been made on both sides of the road for the people coming here to sit. However cleanliness is not being ensured. The Deputy Chief Minister reprimanded the officials for such mismanagement and directed them to provide footage of CCTV cameras installed on the stretch, through which to monitor whether the stretch is being cleaned regularly and the steps taken to ensure period maintenance. The Deputy Chief Minister also directed the Principal Secretary of PWD to monitor this entire stretch and submit a detailed report.