The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government is completing its first year on February 20, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said. Snehil Sinha And Saloni Bhatia About the major achievements of his government, the challenges he faced in the first year, the recent tragic death in Janakpuri and efforts to tackle air pollution and clean the Yamuna. Edited excerpts:
Delhi government will complete one year on 20th February. When you look back at the past year, what have been your biggest accomplishments?
I think in the last year we have taken many steps to improve the quality of life of the residents of Delhi. I will not claim that we achieved everything, but implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme and the Vaya Vandana scheme were major milestones. A total of 703,000 Ayushman Bharat and Vaya Vandana cards have been issued. Around 200 hospitals have been empaneled under these schemes. ₹Rs 45.38 crore has been distributed to the beneficiaries.
After a hard day’s work, a laborer or construction worker deserves a proper meal. Through the launch of Atal Canteen, we are providing nutritious food ₹5, and our goal is to reach 100,000 people. Currently, we serve around 50,000 people every day. This is important from a human point of view.
Delhi’s electric bus fleet has reached 4,200 – the largest in the country. We are also working to increase the metro infrastructure and have also allocated ₹Rs 5,000 crore for metro projects. Infrastructure development remains a priority.
If you look back, is there anything you think could have been done better?
Earlier, summer, rain and winter were challenging. As soon as we took charge, we started preparations for water logging. Minto Bridge, a chronic waterlogging point, has been resolved. The initial months were about assessing the issues and finding long-term solutions. We spent a year figuring things out. These problems cannot be dealt with just when the weather arrives.
We carried out large-scale desilting work – which had never been done before on this scale. About 200,000 metric tons of silt was removed from the drains. Next year our aim is to perform even better.
Has the government benefited from triple engine governance? Is coordination better with bureaucracy?
The three-tier system is a privilege, but it also brings 100% responsibility. We are grateful that people entrusted us with this responsibility. Administrative work is done by bureaucracy and they are fully competent. We are giving them space without any interference. We have prioritized transparency, moved towards e-filing, and digitized records and files. Transparency and communication are important for a corruption free government. When such an environment exists, it creates comfort and efficiency.
How has improving Centre-State coordination helped?
The Central and Delhi governments are now working in coordination. We are getting better support. When the Center provides direction and assistance on projects like Yamuna cleaning and pollution control, the work progresses smoothly. Blaming other states does not solve the problem. Solutions emerge through dialogue and cooperation.
The previous government could only point fingers, and it deliberately stayed away from many centrally aided projects. Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) for infrastructure, National Clean Air Program (NCAP) fund for pollution, Pradhan Mantri e-Drive scheme for electric buses are all low hanging fruits that the Center has provided to all the states. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government did not use these effectively, which slowed down Delhi’s development.
Despite this better coordination and all departments being under the Delhi government, incidents like Janakpuri happened, where a youth lost his life due to open pit and road work. But accountability has still not been fixed. What is the government doing?
This is a very sad incident. But everyone has seen that our government does not blame like the previous government. We have taken full responsibility. Investigation is also going on. Our government will not spare whoever is found guilty. We have issued eight-point instructions to all departments detailing mandatory safety measures at construction sites. We have also sought reports on all the excavation sites across the city.
What challenges did you face as a woman leader?
The only challenge I face as a woman leader – which many men cannot do – is to balance professional and personal responsibilities. I can manage work all day while running an entire state, but in the back of my mind, I also think about my home and whether my kids have eaten. That instinct is natural.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown respect to the women of Delhi by handing over the responsibility of the post of Chief Minister to me. He gave me a challenging responsibility and in doing so brought respect to women across the city.
Chief Minister Mahila Samridhi Yojana was a major election promise. when will it happen ₹Beneficiaries will be given Rs 2,500?
We are working on it, but there are many things that still need to be done. The eligibility criteria are being finalized as we want to ensure that the scheme benefits those who really need it. We have realized that all the welfare schemes are centered around ration cards and the same class of people are getting the benefits. How it spreads and how it actually reaches the people who need it is our focus. Since this will also be a continuous scheme, we will have to make financial arrangements accordingly. Whatever is implemented here in the national capital should be a role model for others and its benefits should reach those who really need it.
There are complaints that the Delhi government merely organized festivals and enjoyed photo opportunities without doing much development work. What do you say about that?
The opposition has a problem with our motto “Development also, heritage also”. Delhi’s biggest strength is its multicultural character. We consider the co-existence of different customs and castes as our asset. Some states are characterized by beaches or mountains; The USP of Delhi is its heritage. People from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand live here – in this sense, Delhi is a miniature India.
In the 356 days we have been in power, we have worked towards the goal of a developed Delhi every day. We have developed a work culture. The doors of Delhi Secretariat were closed to the citizens, but now they come here to find solutions to their problems. The Chief Minister is working among the people, meeting them, staying among them 24×7. They (opposition) are not able to digest this.
How do you see the role of the opposition last year?
They have become completely unemployed. They are politically directionless and make statements only to remain relevant. They make political statements without any accountability. There are two types of courts. The hearing of their cases and scams is going on in the court. However, there is also the public court, which gave its verdict and removed them from power. The court’s decision is awaited and I think he will have to face action for the corruption he has done. AAP got a strong mandate twice – in 2015 and again in 2020. The question is: what did they do? He left Delhi in a bad condition.
You mentioned “legacy” issues with Delhi’s infrastructure. What are these problems and what has the government done to solve them in the last year?
The previous government left behind a legacy of mismanagement and failure to deliver on its promises, leaving Delhi’s infrastructure in disrepair. We’ve spent the last year paying off over 10 years of debt. The deficit of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) was almost equal to the annual budget of the government.
More than 186,000 beneficiaries of the previous Ladli scheme were not paid their claims. We identified them and extended the scheme under Lakhpati Bitiya Yojana.
Desilting was neglected for years. Only half the population in the capital of this country had water connection. Why did the previous government not expand it? Most of the colonies do not have sewer connections. There are such backlogs in basic civic amenities on which we have started work this year.
During its election campaign, BJP had attacked AAP over the previous CM’s residence and had said that it would be opened for the public. What is the investigation of the case?
(Arvind) Kejriwal had built a Sheesh Mahal for himself by leaving the people of Delhi struggling with crumbling basic civic needs. Many excesses have taken place in the building of that “house of corruption”. We still haven’t decided what can be done with the structure and haven’t made any decisions yet.
Despite announcements and plans, air pollution levels are continuously increasing in the city. Are serious efforts being made to control pollution or are we limited to mere announcements?
We have prepared a scientific roadmap with short, medium and long term measures. Automatic misting machines have been installed and regular water sprinkling is going on. Tenders have been issued for dust-free roads, end-to-end paving and greenery.
We are also converting our entire bus fleet to electric. Delhi already has the country’s largest electric bus fleet. We are also introducing EV policy soon which will further encourage EVs. Having said that, I have always maintained that pollution is a legacy issue and it cannot disappear overnight.
Short-term steps were taken to clean Yamuna during Chhath but the foam has returned again. What is being done to clean Yamuna?
Cleaning of Yamuna remains the top priority of the government. We have said that it will take three years. I can assure that the people of Delhi will get to see a better, cleaner Yamuna every year.
We have already purchased a Watermaster dredging machine. We are setting up 35 decentralized sewage treatment plants at the mouths of drains so that sewage and silt are captured before they fall into the Yamuna. Also, no government had ever imagined that the dung of thousands of cattle in the city goes directly into the river. We have installed the city’s first biogas plant and we will continuously increase its number.
Government announced EV policy, excise policy and other schemes. But none of this has started yet. When will these see the light of day?
Our first year focused on drafting concrete policies. The coming year will focus on implementation. Most of these policies are ready and the Saheli pink card for free travel of women in buses as well as the EV policy will also be announced soon. After this, excise policy will also be presented soon.
