Focus on road repair, pollution: Kejriwal
THREE YEARS OF AAP GOVERNMENT Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also promises WiFi in a year, CCTVs from March
NEWDELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will have a renewed focus on building road infrastructure and checking air pollution, apart from the health and education sectors, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday at a function to mark the third anniversary of his government.
“We will try to complete roads and drains, particularly in unauthorised colonies, in a year’s time,” the CM said.
The government, Kejriwal said, would take up a study to find exact reason of pollution in different seasons of the year. It also plans to procure a machine that will send out real-time data on pollution and its sources in the city. Kejriwal said chief secretary Anshu Prakash has been asked to submit a report on the proposals in a week’s time. Kejriwal announced the ambitious free Wifi project will be launched a year from now while the installation of 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras will start next month.
NEW DELHI: In the remaining two years of its tenure, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will renew its focus on building road infrastructure and checking air pollution apart from health and education sectors, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday.
At a function to mark the third anniversary of his government, Kejriwal also announced that the ambitious free WiFi project will be launched a year from now while the installation of 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras will begin next month.
“This year will witness massive investment to improve the condition of roads and drains and building new roads. By the end of this year, roads and drains-related works, especially in unauthorised colonies, will be completed,” Kejriwal said in his address at the event at the NDMC Convention Centre where the CM along with the council of ministers took questions from the public through phone calls and social media.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led party stormed to power with an overwhelming majority of 67 seats in a 70-member house in 2015. Currently, however, the party is staring at a likely mini-election after its 20 lawmakers were disqualified last month over allegedly holding offices of profit. The matter is currently subjudice.
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia spoke at length about the government’s achievements in increasing revenue collection and improving education. “Last year, we collected around ₹32,000 crore in revenue and now we are setting a target of ₹48,000 crore. Also, I have been informed that the PMO has sought a report on our education reforms,” he said.
POLLUTION
The government, he said, would take up a study to find the exact reasons of pollution in different seasons. The government also plans to procure a machine that will send out real-time data on pollution and its sources in the city. He asked chief secretary Anshu Prakash to submit a report on the two proposals in a week.
“Except the IIT Kanpur report, there has not been any study on sources of pollution in Delhi. Every month has a different cause of pollution. And no study has so far addressed this point,” the chief minister said.
He acknowledged that the oddeven car rationing scheme was not a permanent solution to pollution and said that dust pollution would be controlled by landscaping 500 kms of roads.
ROADS
The Delhi CM said his government will invest big in construction and repairing of roads next year. “We will try to complete roads and drains, particularly in unauthorised colonies, in a year’s time,” he said.
He said whichever department digs up roads would have to repair it irrespective of the landowning agency and that the L-G was on board on the suggestion. This, he said, would be implemented in a week.
Kejriwal said it had built 11 flyovers in the past three years compared to the 57 built during the 15-year Congress rule in Delhi.
RUN-INS WITH L-G
Kejriwal hit out at the lieutenant governor for allegedly obstructing his government’s development works. Listing how 16 to 17 bills passed by the Delhi Assembly were pending with the Centre, the chief minister said that the Delhi government struggled to get approval for its policies from L-G, who is a representative of the Union government.
“Finally, our MLA had to camp at L-G’s residence to get the bills passed,” he said.
CORRUPTION
Kejriwal said that corruption has increased in Delhi ever since the anti-corruption branch (ACB) was taken out of Delhi government’s control. “I have no hesitation in admitting that corruption on retail level has increased since ACB was snatched by the Centre. But because we are an honest government, there is no corruption at the top,” he said.
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