PTI
New Delhi
Hundreds of school children today took pledge in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to fight pollution and convince their parents, relatives and friends to adhere to the odd-even scheme to be rolled out in two days.
“Convince your parents, relatives and friends to follow the odd-even scheme. We are to do this not out of any imposition, but because it is important for our health and life.
“If you see anyone violating the odd-even scheme, just roll down your car window and ask that person to go back home.
If the same person receives 10 such remarks in a day, it would stir his conscience and persuade him to keep his car off the road,” Kejriwal said, addressing the students at Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya in north Delhi's Civil Lines.
Before the students took the oath, the Chief Minister also encouraged them to convince their parents and relatives to go for carpooling, as public transport vehicles like buses and Delhi Metro are likely to be quite crowded for 15 days during which the scheme is to be implemented, starting January 1.
“I, myself, shall carpool with Transport Minister Gopal Rai, who lives not very far away from my residence,” Kejriwal said.
During the programme 'Pollution Free Delhi', a student asked the Chief Minister about the exemption on medical emergencies provided in the scheme and how is it to be implemented on the ground, to which Kejriwal replied by saying that the scheme is largely based on trust.
On being asked about the probability of people buying two cars to evade the scheme, the Chief Minister called it a “baseless claim” being propagated for the past few days.
“Media is exaggerating about people buying two cars to evade the scheme. Not too many people are that rich, and the affluent ones already have more than one car. These are all baseless claims being propagated from the past few days. And above all, it is not a permanent scheme anywhere,” said Kejriwal.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Rai were also present on the occasion.
PTI
New Delhi
Congress today raised questions over the Kejriwal government's preparedness to implement the odd-even scheme from Friday, asking whether it was an “off-the-cuff decision” to avoid media attention from the 400 per cent salary hike of Delhi MLAs.
“The Delhi government has decided to try the even-odd formula for cars for 15 days. We want to ask whether it was a well-thought out decision or it was just an off-the-cuff decision taken to avoid media attention on the 400 per cent salary hike of Delhi MLAs,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters at the AICC briefing.
Posing a number of questions before the AAP government of Delhi and the NDA dispensation at the Centre, he said, “We want to ask have you ensured sufficient number of parkings for government and private or have they left them to the mercy of neighbours? Have you looked at what are the indices of pollution? There are many other factors for air pollution other than vehicular pollution.” He said that unpaved pavements on the roads is also a factor for pollution as well the width of road areas in which both governments can act.
Sharing the dais with him, former Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said, “Pollution will not be over by taking diesel-run vehicles off the road. This has been the experience abroad as well.” He suggested measures like providing incentives to consumers for changing old vehicles.
Starting January 1, the odd and even car number formula will be applied here on a trial basis for 15 days with an aim to curb pollution in the national capital.
