NCT Face off - Better to Switch off now

Recent Face off between the Delhi Lieutenant General, Najeeb Jung and the Honorable Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, on administrative lines of National Capital Territory (NCT) region (NCT) has been creating significant hits in print and digital media. It is undoubtedly not a healthy sign for the progressing Delhi development Projects in the pipeline. On the other hand, it is imperative that full statehood is mandatory for a Government at National Capital which has no political  nexus either with BJP or with Congress. Absolute evaluation of the Government would make sense only if the contemporary Government enjoys more than 75% of the statehood power in administration and policy executions which is typically not the current scenario.

Pertaining to the case of appointment of higher Bureaucratic officers  of Delhi, Articles 239AA & 239AB introduced by Constitutional amendment in 1991 come to investigation process. According to those articles, as far as Delhi is concerned, “There shall be a Council of Ministers...in the Legislative Assembly, with the Chief Minister at the Head to aid and advise the Lieutenant Governor in the exercise of his functions in relation to matters with respect to which the Legislative Assembly has power to make laws, except in so far as he is, or under any law, required to act in his discretion”.  Hence, it is quite obvious that there is no “aid & advice” involved in appointing the acting Chief Secretary Ms. Shakuntala Gamlin. This is the crux behind the tussle between the CM and the LG of Delhi. If the same case repeats for the appointment of other higher bureaucratic officials to ensure that the Central Government keeps a grip on forthcoming development plans, the independence of the Government functioning goes for a toss.

Escalation of this issue by the ruling Aam Aadhmi Party to the superior Government, which is its ideal duty, has been projected by domestic Media house as an abysmal move to ensure to catch the ample eyeballs of the audience. However, the directional change by the Home Ministry of Bharatiya Janata Party by inclining towards the side of LG, brings in a rhetoric question of his sudden contrast stands against its proposal of separate statehood of Delhi in taking independent administrative decisions in late 1990’s. According to the Parliamentary standing committee in 2003, there was a bill drafted by BJP in 1998 which demanded the very purpose in achieving Sovereignty of Delhi statehood. Now, the political stands of BJP has contrastingly drifted to the other side of the shore which is an expected behavior. It is absolutely pointless for AAP in continuing the agitation on this front which would lead nowhere other than politicizing the issue.

 

Nevertheless, the Delhi Government has to ensure the below progressive actions are implemented with no hindrances from LG and the apex Government which is definitely a herculean task considering the current political and administrative turf. Hence, it is better that the Government switch off the lasting scuffle and focus on the productive road-map. Hope for the better achievements of below initiatives for the betterment of the Delhi Mandate.

 

1. Recently, AAP Government has announced that they would build 47 - 50 new schools this financial year which would be at par, or better, than the private schools.
2. PWD is on a short leash regarding the bad roads - PWD gets 3 weeks to repair potholes. The Toll free number 1800-110-093 is also created to report the bad roads.
3. A major infrastructure project would be revived - Delhi’s east-west elevated corridor to be revived
4. A couple of water treatment plants have been made functional. One at Bawana (Bawana water treatment plant opens today), and one at Dwarka (Kejriwal opens Dwarka water treatment unit, promises piped supply for Delhi).
5. Few Water ATMs are being planned by the DJB - DJB plans 100 ‘water ATMs’ to dispense free drinking water
6. Around 21 arrests have been made by Delhi ACB. The anti corruption helpline received 1.25 Lakh calls in a month! Delhi Police has also revived its anti corruption helpline - 1064. These steps have curbed corruption to a great extent in Delhi.
7. Delhi government is planning to open the first meter testing laboratory in the Capital - Delhi government may curb  discoms’ power to test faulty meters
8. Public grievance is on a high priority - Resolve public complaints in a week: Arvind Kejriwal
9. Solar Power is getting a boost - Delhi gets a solar power boost
10. Delhi Development Authority is all set to implement the Public Bicycle Sharing (PBS) system in Dwarka. The idea is to use cycles as a public transport system in order to make short and quick trips - Dwarka to gain pedal power
11. Delhi Jal Board has set up a Leak Detection Investigation Cell to curb the water leakages - DJB cell to detect leakages
12. Aam Aadmi Party led Delhi government has directed the DTC to add 500 midi buses to its fleet immediately - Delhi govt directs DTC to buy 500 midi buses
13. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) is now looking at a slew of revenue-generating measures like putting out advertisements on water tankers to selling by-products from sewage treatment plants - DJB looks at measures to increase revenue and Delhi Jal Board to permit ads on its water tankers
14. Delhi Government will soon allow residents to install their own water meters - Soon, Delhi residents can install their own water meters
15. Delhi’s education system will see in the coming days, like a separate education board, experimental curriculum, reward of foreign training and increments to motivate principals to make their schools a model for private schools -
16. Delhi to get new education board
17. Delhi Government to Form its Own Education Board, Rewrite Education Act
18. Kejriwal declares Delhi needs own school education board
19. The Delhi Government’s Public Works Department has constituted a 10-member team of engineers to conduct a quality control and technical audit of all ongoing construction works of the government in the Capital - PWD sets up Quality Assurance Unit
20. The Aam Aadmi Party Government is planning on banning the use of drinking water for non-drinking purposes by institutions - State govt. to rationalise water use in the Capital
21. Delhi government has decided to begin the process of retrofitting all government hospitals under its control in a phased manner - Government decides to retrofit hospitals
22. A  new fruit and vegetable mandi will come up shortly at Tikri Khampur in north-west Delhi with all modern facilities for storage and trading in agricultural commodities - Vegetable mandi to come up at Tikri Khampur
23. Water Tankers in Delhi to be fitted with GPS - Page on indiatimes.com
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25. Delhi Development Authority (DDA) plans international sports complex in Dwarka sub-city on a 62-acre site - DDA plans international sports complex in Dwarka sub-cit
26. The AAP government in Delhi would provide 1,000 Wi-Fi hotspots by February next year across the national capital - ‘1,000 Wi-Fi hotspots by Feb. next year’
27. The Education department has decided that it will now monitor all nursery schools and playschools running on private land as well - Playschools on private land to be monitored
28. Acquiring government certification for marriage, income, domicile, caste, nationality, birth and death will soon be replaced by a virtual experience on the e-district platform in Delhi - Govt papers now just a click away
29. Mohalla Sabhas were held in 11 constituencies to get inputs for the Delhi budget -
30. Janta ka Budget sees thin but keen gathering
31. Aam aadmi gives Swaraj budget a thumbs up
32. AAP Government Kicks Off 'Participatory Budget' Exercise
33. Janta Ka Budget: AAP begins experiment in direct democracy
34. Decisions taken among public are best: Sisodia
35. No private hospital can force patients to buy medicines or equipment from it - Private hospitals can’t force you to buy their medicines: Delhi health minister
36. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi on Friday banned the use of fresh groundwater in city parks Delhi govt bans use of fresh groundwater in city parks
37. Fifty parks owned and maintained by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will from now on boast of open gymnasiums with state-of-the-art equipment - DDA to have free open-air gymnasiums in 50 parks
38. Delhi Government has started registration of these battery-operated rickshaws - E-rickshaws to ply on roads again
39. Pollution Control -
40. 172 building sites get notices for violating air pollution norms
41. Noise Pollution: NGT calls meet on ‘no-horn zone’ Panchsheel Park
42. Delhi government to plant 14 lakh saplings in national capital in 2015-16
43. Crackdown on open burning of leaves, garbage
44. Delhi government to make all roads dust-free to decrease pollution level
45. In a historical first, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has recruited its first woman driver - In bid to hire more women drivers, Delhi Transport Corporation to ease rules
46. The Delhi government on Friday asked Delhi Police to install CCTV cameras inside police stations and sought a list of “dark spots” considered dangerous for women - CM Arvind Kejriwal writes to Bassi, demands a say in policing matters , AAP-Led Delhi Government Now Wants CCTVs in Police Stations
47. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday began a free vaccination programme that will bring children across the city under the cover of health benefits - Delhi launches a mission: Healthy life for every child
48. Delhi government to give Rs 1 crore to families of security personnel killed on duty in the city from a special fund - Delhi government to give Rs 1 crore to kin of securitymen killed on duty.
49. The Delhi Government hikes minimum wages for all categories of labourers in the city 5% in Delhi - Minimum wages hiked by 5% in Delhi
50. The Delhi government has decided to allow registration of property in 895 unauthorised colonies that were recently regularised - Property registration in unauthorised colonies ordered, 50L to get relief
51. Transport department will run 1000 mini-buses in rural areas of Delhi -Will ply 1,000 mini-buses on rural routes: Gopal Rai
52. Delhi Jal Board (DJB) announced a series of measures that will be implemented as part of its summer action plan : increasing the fleet of water tankers, setting up two dozen emergency control rooms, installing new tube-wells and booster pumping stations among other measures -DJB’s summer action plan: More water tankers, control rooms, new tubewells
53. Three stranded road projects. Road between Wazirabad and Swarup Nagar, and another between Wazirabad and Vikaspuri will be completed by December 31, 2015 - Delhi's PWD told to finish two roads this year,Minister reviews three stranded road projects

54. Delhi government to follow Singapore model of water re-use, planning an ambitious project to provide recycled water to clusters of 100-200 houses -Delhi govt to follow Singapore model of water re-use
55. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday launched an e-Ration card facility making Delhi the first in the country to have such a programme - Delhi CM launches e-ration cards
56. CM Arvind Kejriwal has given in-principle consent to scrap the capital’s most controversial traffic project, the Rs 400-crore Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor - BRT will be scrapped, decides Arvind Kejriwal
57. Delhi government is set to introduce “paperless registration” of all types of vehicles in the national capital - Vehicles’ registration to go paperless in Delhi
58. The AAP Delhi government is all set to open 20 new fast track courts in the capital to deal with cases of crimes against women - 20 new fast track courts to open in a year
59. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asks corporations to return with revenue plan - CM asks corporations to return with revenue plan
60. Delhi Government cracks down on private hospitals, will monitor EWS admissions in private hospitals -Are city hospitals treating EWS patients? Surprise checks on cards,  Govt cracks down, will monitor EWS admissions in private hospitals
61. Delhi Government snips red tape, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the government will put project details and their progress online so that the public can view them - Government snips red tape, to put all work details online
62. Providing breather to traders, Delhi cabinet on Friday made amendments to the Delhi Value Added Tax Act of 2006 - Breather to traders, Delhi VAT Act amended
63. Delhi government has plans to set up ‘Central Procurement Unit’ in a bid to put an end to unreasonable rates of medicines, their wastage and shortage - Govt to set up Central Unit to procure medicines for hospitals
64. Delhi govt plans city walks, city could be heading for a potential world heritage city tag this year - Heritage tag in sight, Delhi govt plans city walks
65. Delhi government launches a portal to file your complaints online directly with your MP/MLA. MP/MLA can review complaints anytime, and status of the complaints can also be tracked - Now file your complaint online with Delhi Govt
66. AAP government impact: DSSSB to clear backlog of 20, 000 pending vacancies by year-end - AAP government impact: DSSSB to clear backlog of 20, 000 pending vacancies by year-end