AAP’s mayor faces major challenges with stalled smart city projects

Vineet Dhir’s election as the new Mayor of Jalandhar Municipal Corporation (MC) on January 11 was met with enthusiasm, but the challenges awaiting his tenure are substantial. With a backlog of unresolved Smart City and development projects, the next five years will be a high-stakes period for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), as they face mounting pressure from opposition parties and residents for action.

In the 2024 Lok Sabha and Jalandhar West elections, AAP faced sharp criticism for stalled Smart City initiatives and poor civic amenities. The BJP has accused AAP and Congress of involvement in a multi-crore Smart City scam in Jalandhar MC. Several key projects, including the Bio Mining project for garbage management, the Sports Hub, Surface Water Project, and Smart Roads, remain incomplete, causing frustration among residents.

The Waraiana dumping site, which once held 700 metric tonnes of garbage, now holds a staggering 10 lakh metric tonnes, with multiple waste management issues still unresolved and pending with the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The city’s aging and deteriorating sewerage system, spanning nearly 1,100 km, requires urgent overhaul, and the rapid growth of illegal colonies has added further strain. The accumulation of decades-old civic issues is now the responsibility of the newly elected council to address.

BJP leader and former CPS KD Bhandari expressed skepticism about AAP’s ability to address these challenges, saying, “There has been no indication during AAP’s tenure so far that they will address the Municipal Corporation’s issues quickly. The government and corporation officials have been more inclined to delay than to solve problems. However, the BJP will be closely monitoring the new council, hoping that the long-pending backlog is cleared soon.”

In addition to these concerns, BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia criticized the mayoral election process, calling it a “farce.” He pointed out that, unlike previous elections where the divisional commissioner administered a formal oath to newly elected councilors, this time only documents were signed in a brief ceremony, which failed to inspire confidence. He questioned whether the new council would generate enough revenue to complete ongoing works and if it would ensure proper discussions on agendas. “I don’t have high hopes,” he added.

Mayor Vineet Dhir responded to these criticisms by prioritising the streamlining of the work culture at the MC and generating revenue. “There can be 100 ways or strategies to get works done, and we will employ these to ensure that projects are completed,” he said. “From Tuesday onwards, I will be meeting the heads of all branches and departments to review their progress. All pending Smart City works will be reviewed by turns within this week. We will create a system of speedy redressals and feedback from officers. This MC tenure will be marked by strictness and promptness in execution.”