Queen Ojha, AGP candidate, contesting the Assembly elections from Gauhati East, gets candid about how she aspires to solve the woes of the people if she wins

TT: The city’s crime rate has been rising and its neighbourhoods are unsafe while a large percentage of its police force is busy looking after Dispur and its VIPs. How do you intend to provide people with security?

Ojha: There should be a limit to the number of security personnel accompanying VIPs. Many use security as a status symbol. It is very difficult to say how I intend to provide security, but I will try my best to work for the security of the people, especially for women.

TT: The city has become a place for the high and mighty. Ministers’ motorcades hold up traffic for hours and the common man has no place in the scheme of things. Why should he trust you with his vote?

Ojha: Ministers need to be more sensitive to the needs of the people. People seem to have lost their faith in politicians. So far, I have got good response from people and I hope I will win their trust too.

TT: Numerous high-rise buildings have come up in Guwahati that have been constructed by flouting building bylaws. Moreover, during their construction an unspecified number of deep tubewells are dug up, which reduces the ground water level in the immediate vicinity fall. How do you plan to remove these discrepancies?

Ojha: People should be aware of the building bylaws. There are many buildings that are constructed illegally. The builders of these buildings are helped by corrupt officers to obtain building permission. It would not be possible to bring down already constructed buildings, but I will try to curb the growth of such buildings.

TT: Guwahati’s stormwater drainage and garbage disposal systems have failed miserably. And the problem has constantly worsened. How will you change this?

Ojha: There are many NGOs working to keep the city clean. However, the current government has failed to implement a proper system to clean the garbage of the city and even though there are civic bodies for the work, things are not monitored properly. I don’t know how far I will be able to change these things, but I will definitely try.

TT: Guwahati autorickshaws have run riot for 40 years now. No one has been able to make the autorickshaw drivers use meters. What do you intend to do about it?

Ojha: There were steps taken by the authorities concerned to control this menace. However, there must have been some drawbacks in implementing fare meters as a result of which autorickshaws still continue to ply without meters. Rates reasonable for autorickshaw drivers and public should be fixed and then implemented properly. I will take up this matter and discuss it with authorities concerned to find a solution.

TT: Guwahati has a large floating population and law enforcement agencies believe this to be the root of the rising crime graph here. How do you intend to solve this problem?

Ojha: This is a very difficult situation and it is not possible to control the growing population of the city. This issue needs to be addressed at a higher level (chief minister, home minister). At a ministerial level, it is difficult to tackle such problems but I will take the issue to the higher level.