AAP manifesto may focus on piped water, pollution, traffic

By Nivedita Singh

New Delhi, Jan 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) manifesto for the 2020 Assembly elections, likely to be released by weekend and focus on water, pollution and traffic management, is being eagerly awaited.

The AAP, which claims to have fulfilled all the promises made in the 70-point manifesto of 2015, has set up a three-member drafting committee, comprising Lok Sabha candidate Atishi as the chairperson and Ajoy Kumar and Jasmine Shah as members.

According to a party leader, the manifesto will focus on the issues related to the common man. "To tell you in one line, the manifesto will list the works we are planning to do in the next five years," the party leader said.

The manifesto drafting committee has compiled the suggestions gathered at the townhall meetings, organised by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, door-to-door campaigns and public interactions.

Among the top suggestions, the leader said, was a demand for improvement in the city's cleanliness, which is otherwise the municipal corporation's job. "The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been heading the the municipal corporations for the last 15 years. But people are unhappy with the waste management and are demanding that we take some steps."

Similarly, the party has also received several requests for better traffic management. "Although the two are not under the city government, we are exploring what can be done about them," the AAP leader said.

Air and water pollution were the two other major issues we would be addressing in the next five years, the AAP leader said and added, the party was focusing on as many issues of the common man as it possible.

The piped water is also likely to figure in the manifesto. "Although we have increased the supply of piped water, it's yet to be 100 per cent and that will be our aim," the leader said.

The Chief Minister has already announced that the AAP, if re-elected, would make bus rides free for students. The AAP is also expected to continue with old schemes. "People will get free water up to 20,000 litres and free electricity up to 200 units. The public buses will also continue to be free for women."

While Oxford-educated Atishi has played an important role in the education sector reforms, Ajoy Kumar is a former Lok Sabha members and IPS officer.

Jasmine Shah, an alumnus of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and also a Nehru Fulbright Scholar, has a decade of experience of working on urban governance and policy issues.

Both Atishi and Shah have been advising the Delhi government and the party expects to get their "expert opinion".

The 70-member Delhi Assembly will go to polls on February 8 and results will be out on February 11. In 2015, the AAP created a record by winning 67 of the 70 seats.

Source: IANS