Sanitation top priority for new North Delhi Mayor

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 18

Sanitation, education and health would be the priorities for the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, said Preeti Aggarwal after being elected as the new Mayor of the municipal body today.

A first-time BJP councillor representing Rohini-F Ward, Aggarwal said the party would work with the Opposition on “constructive lines and make the image of the North MCD more positive”.

Suggesting a three-point formula in mind — Swachhta, Shiksha aur Swasthya, she said, “Our job would be to fulfil the dreams of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sanitation would be my top priority.”

It is worth mentioning that the three civic bodies had been rated poorly in the Swachh Bharat survey which was released recently by the BJP-governed Centre.

Sanitation is a major governance issue in the national Capital over which the AAP-led government and the BJP, which has been ruling the MCD for the past 10 years, have sparred and ended in blaming each other for the cleanliness mess in the city until recent past.

The AAP and the Congress have criticised the BJP-controlled corporations, alleging that the three civic bodies have turned the city into a “heap of garbage” and in turn all the political parties received flak from residents over the lack of cleanliness in the national Capital.

While Aggarwal remained the unopposed as mayor of the North MCD, Vijay Kumar Bhagat was chosen unopposed as the deputy mayor. The new team of the north body took charge today. Six members of the Standing Committee were also elected today.

In the 104 -member North MCD, the BJP’s 64 counsellors made it to the House whereas 21 from AAP and 15 from the Congress won the MCD polls held on April 23. The BSP has one member, while two were elected as independent candidates.

In the high-stake polls, Aggarwal who polled 11,723 votes defeated AAP’s Abhinav Mishra by a margin of 5,413 votes.