‘Civic services, infra will be key priority’: Mukesh Sharma

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Gurugram: With barely ten days left for the Haryana assembly elections scheduled to be held on October 5, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) candidate for the Gurgaon constituency, Mukesh Sharma, outlined his agenda for development in his constituency on Tuesday and said if elected his first priority will be to ensure that civic agencies such as the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) take up issues such as damaged roads, waterlogging and clogged drains at the earliest. In conversation with Abhishek Behl, Sharma said that he will also act on long-term plans to expand the metro and rapid rail in the city. Edited excerpts:

What are the key issues that you have identified in Gurugram that need to be solved on priority?

Traffic congestion, waterlogging, sanitation and waste management are major issues that are creating a lot of problems in the city. There is urgent need to introduce the metro rail in Gurugram and this should be done on multiple routes. I will push for metro lines on the HUDA City Centre route, Bhondsi to railway station route and another one from Sector 56 to Vatika Chowk. In the next five years, the agenda will be to get metro operational in Gurugram. Another key project will be to get elevated roads built on the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road, on Sheetla Mata Road and the roads connecting the old city with the railway station. These projects are under consideration of different agencies but I will get these executed.

You have been calling for shifting the IAF depot to ensure that the large number of people living in the area get benefits of regularisation and basic facilities. How do you plan to get this done?

I have been taking up the cause of lakhs of residents living around the 900 metre stretch of the IAF ammunition depot for several years. These people are not getting basic facilities despite playing a key role in running businesses in Gurugram and they must be helped. The BJP has a government at the centre and if I win the election, I will ensure that the matter is taken up seriously by both the state government and the one at the centre. I have already informed the top leadership at the centre and asked them to take a call on the matter. If I win the election, my voice will have the strength of 10 lakh people living in the constituency.

Despite remaining in power for two terms, the BJP government has not been able to deliver on key projects such as building a civil hospital, a modern bus stand and similar infrastructure. How are you going to make these possible?

No doubt some infrastructural projects have been delayed but that was more due to land acquisition issues and legal hassles. Our intent is not missing but we will have to ensure that the projects in the pipeline are executed on priority. If I win the election, I assure you that a modern bus stand with latest amenities will come up in the city. The issues plaguing the city bus service will also be resolved and I assure the people that the number of buses will be increased exponentially. Whether I have to seek help from the centre or the state government, I will not rest till these issues are resolved. I am also of the opinion that a civil hospital in Gurugram, which will be constructed soon should be further upgraded to the level of a post-graduate institute on the lines of PGI Rohtak and Chandigarh so that people can get good medical treatment.

Issues such as waste management and cleaning of drains in internal sectors have remained pending despite the MCG making umpteen promises. How do you plan to ensure that MCG delivers on its earlier promises?

I must tell you that the state government and MCG has cancelled the contracts of several contractors in the past six months, and several people who had vested interests in perpetuating these problems have also been removed. The issue of waste collection in Gurugram and waste management at Bandhwari will be solved by bringing in experts and agencies, who have a proven track record. The contractors with tainted pasts and those who have been involved in illegal activities will be blacklisted to improve things. Also, officials, who have not been performing will face consequences for non-performance.

Gurugram has become a city totally dependent on private enterprise with people of the city, even those with limited means being forced to pay for basic services. This takes a heavy toll on city residents as the cost of living has increased manifold. How do you plan to make life easier for people in Gurugram?

I am aware of this fact and to resolve this issue I will work with government departments to increase the number of dispensaries, health centres in the city. Making government schools more effective and accountable will be another key agenda. I have already said that public transport will be expanded. All these measures will help city residents and people who come here to work will get more government facilities.

Gurgaon is a key constituency in south Haryana and several BJP leaders wanted the party ticket. How did you manage to convince the party leadership that you were the right candidate?

I have been working for the BJP for the last 25 years, and was an active party worker in 2,000. I have worked on key organisational posts at district, state and national level and the senior leadership was aware about my dedication to the organisation and party ideology. I worked for the party at the grassroot level when very few people used to get associated with the BJP in Haryana. I have fought elections twice and that experience also held me in good stead. I am confident that the BJP will win the Gurgaon seat with a good margin.

What is your message for voters of Gurgaon constituency? What has been the response during election campaign?

I appeal to the people of Gurugram to vote in public interest and national interest. By voting for BJP, they will strengthen the nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have been getting a very strong and positive response from the people. The Punjabi and Vaishya community are traditional voters of the BJP and I am confident they will vote for the party in this election.