‘Won’t budge till they end strike’
STANDOFF CONTINUES Delhi chief minister says ‘strike’ by IAS officers is being orchestrated by the Bjpruled central government through their LG, appeals to PM Narendra Modi to intervene
ally intervene and put an end to the strike. I have met the hon’ble L-G at least four times during last three months, education minister Manish Sisodia met him four times, health minister Satyender Jain met him three times and labour minister Gopal Rai met him three times. We have written numerous letters to him on the issue. Every time we meet him, the L-G only says one thing – he will try to resolve the issue in one week. Despite so many meetings and letters, there has been no progress on the issue. They want the strike to continue. This strike has been orchestrated by the central government through the L-G.
We are now convinced they want to paralyse my government so that no work can be done in the remaining tenure. It was then that we decided not to take things sitting down. rivals admit that the Delhi government has done wonderful work in health, education, electricity and water sectors in just three years.
The Modi government and the BJP state governments have no answers when people ask them about no fee hike by private schools in Delhi and free tests and medicines in Delhi government hospitals. It is precisely due to all this that the BJP has decided to now not let the Kejriwal government work. The way the Congress has been siding with the BJP and supporting it on the Delhi L-G issue has angered and disappointed people. 15 days – since the last three months, this meeting has not take place due to the strike of IAS officers.
This is a very unfortunate situation. Similarly, the water crises looms large on Delhi. But if the DJB officials do not pick up my calls or come to my meetings, then how will we function?
Let me give you some more examples: Officers have not attended the meetings to prepare for the desilting of drains before monsoon. This work is being affected; the dengue and chikungunya season follows the monsoon. Officers did not come for meetings on this issue too. This will have an extremely adverse effect on the health of people of Delhi. During the summer break, whitewash of schools is undertaken. This year, due to the strike by IAS officers, even this work has not started. Due to the strike, the work of setting-up mohalla and polyclinics has been stalled.
The last instalment for completing the Signature Bridge has to be released, which is pending due to the IAS officers’ strike. Work of laying roads and sewers in unauthorised colonies has either stopped or has considerably slowed down due to the strike. That is what we have been saying. The Modi government through a notification barely three months after the people of Delhi elected our government with an unprecedented mandate in 2015, took away the power of transfers and postings of officers and also the ACB (anti-corruption bureau) from us.
The powers enjoyed by the Shiela Dikshit government were considerably reduced by the Modi government through its May 21, 2015, notification. It was aimed at paralysing the elected Delhi government.
Despite all these hurdles, the work of our government during last three years has been widely appreciated in India and abroad in the fields of health, education, electricity and water. I have written to the hon’ble prime minister and appealed to him that before the Niti Aayog meeting, the strike of IAS officers be called off. If the hon’ble PM wants, the officers’ strike will end within a minute.