Congress MP in Lok Sabha urges Beijing-style plan to tackle Delhi pollution

Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Thursday cast Delhi’s toxic air as not merely an environmental emergency but a full-blown human crisis, urging the Centre to adopt a bold, Beijing-style clean-air action plan with strict timelines and accountability.

Raising the alarm during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, Tagore accused the government of failing to enforce pollution controls even as millions continue to breathe poisonous air. He pointed to Beijing — once more polluted than Delhi — as an example of transformation through electrified transport systems, rigorous deadlines, and firm accountability.

“I demand an immediate, time-bound, Beijing-style clean air emergency plan,” he declared, calling for steeper penalties for violators and rapid electrification of public buses. “When citizens are choking on toxic air, no country can call itself developed.”

During the same session, TMC MP Saugata Roy slammed the Centre for allegedly withholding funds owed to West Bengal under schemes such as MNREGA and Jal Jeevan Mission, accusing the government of using financial dues as a weapon against opposition-ruled states. “I protest the discriminatory attitude of the Centre,” Roy said.

Congress MP Balwant B. Wankhede also raised the plight of Indian Army soldiers struggling to secure confirmed rail tickets, urging the government to create a dedicated reservation quota and simplify verification through digital processes to ensure unhindered movement for personnel on duty.

With PTI inputs