What should have been a fruitful discussion of neighbourhood issues between Mayur Vihar Phase I residents and MP Mahesh Giri turned out to be an evening of disappointments, as Giri chose to walk out right after his opening speech.
The meeting was scheduled at Una Enclave on October 1. Residents of 16 societies in the area were to meet the MP to discuss their problems.
However, the meeting came to an abrupt end after the MP's 15-minute speech, even before residents could start airing their concerns. "It is not possible for me to remember all your issues. I suggest you send your grievances to me in writing," Giri said, before walking out, leaving residents aghast. It is important to note that he was accompanied by a team that could have easily jotted down the problems as the residents discussed them with Giri.
Residents present at the meeting were incensed at the MP's utter disregard for their problems and their time. "We had come to discuss our day-to-day issues with the MP," said a dejected resident of Una Enclave, who preferred to remain anonymous. "All of us were looking forward to this meeting. What was the point of arranging a face-to-face interaction if we just had to send him our problems in writing?"
Pawan Kumar Vasudeva, president of the Una Enclave managing committee, was the one who had taken the initiative to arrange the meeting. "The evening's turn of events came as a surprise to us," he said. "Politicians and government authorities pay no heed to the problems of societies, but they have to take our opinion into consideration before making policies that affect us. And for that we need to be heard."
Pawan Kumar Vasudeva (in green), president of Una Enclave, with MP Mahesh Giri on his left
