Odd-even a knee-jerk reaction, AAP's theatrics: Vijay Goel

The Delhi government's decision to reintroduce the odd-even scheme is yet another "act of theatrics" by the AAP and would only add to people's woes, Union minister Vijay Goel alleged today.
A day after the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation announced that the car-rationing scheme would be in place from November 13-17, Goel said it was a "knee-jerk reaction".
The AAP government needs to involve all stakeholders such as scientists, environmentalists and experts, to chalk out a long-term plan to "restore Delhi's sanctity and make things stable and better again", he said at a press conference here.
"People are already suffering due to smog. And, now this additional burden. Besides, what was the city government doing all these past months? Did it not know that stubble-burning would affect the Delhi environment?

"They should have asked for a meeting with the Centre and tried to address the issue earlier," the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs said.
"Now, it's too little and too late to implement the odd- even scheme. Various reports had earlier said how the scheme had failed in curtailing the the air pollution level in the capital. The idea and its implementation has been a big failure," Goel claimed, saying "It should not be implemented."

Meanwhile, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot today said people can travel for free in all DTC and cluster buses during the odd-even scheme, seeking to encourage use of public transport.

Goel, a former Delhi BJP chief, also countered that, saying, "Kejriwal has now declared free travel in all DTC and cluster buses, the joke is they haven't added the number of buses as promised by them."
"This will only create a chaotic situation for the masses as we saw similar scenes in the last odd-even (scheme) when Metro stations witnessed tsunami of unmanageable public," he said.
"Delhi government's odd-even plan is yet another act of theatrics by the Aam Aadmi Party. If he's (Kejriwal) so concerned about people and environment, may be he should make bus travel in city free for good," he said in a sarcastic remark.

He also questioned the efficacy of the scheme, claiming, many people who have the purchasing capacity, tend to buy cars with both odd and even numbers.
"The AAP made the poor people as its vote-bank, but haven't done anything to help them in this situation. Kejriwal and his team should have at least distributed masks to the slum-dwellers," he said.