Kejriwal lauds govt think tank’s ‘key role’ in schemes since 2015
The chief minister said the think-tank has played a vital role in 70 programmes launched by the state government in Delhi over the past 7 years
NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday lauded the “exemplary work” by the Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) — the state government’s think tank — and said that the body has played a key role in several programmes rolled out in the Capital over the past seven years.
The think tank, which was founded in February 2015, has been involved in 70 Delhi government programmes, Kejriwal said during a press briefing on Wednesday, adding that DDC supplements the state cabinet’s work.
“Ministers are usually too occupied with work, so DDC supplements their responsibilities by framing new schemes, consulting experts and stakeholders, implementing them and monitoring them,” said Kejriwal, who heads the agency.
The chief minister’s comments come days after Jasmine Shah, DDC vice-chairperson, was served a notice by the director of Delhi’s planning department on Monday for “misusing public resources” -- a charge that Shah and the AAP have denied.
Kejriwal said that DDC has, among other programmes, worked on systems to ease ration distribution during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, formulated the city’s electric vehicles policy, cut to one-third the response time of government ambulances, and developed the “Rozgaar Bazaar” web portal which has provided at least a million people with jobs.
“In the last seven years, DDC has put in unprecedented work to come up with brilliant projects for Delhi’s development and deserves a lot of credit for the success of the state government’s programmes,” he said.
DDC bridges the gap “between innovation and practice”, said Kejriwal as he outlined the agency’s functioning process.
The commission focuses on six sectors, including social, transport and infrastructure, environment, economy, governance and monitoring and evaluation, he said.
“The agency works in three stages: project design, monitoring and correction of deficiencies. DDC has taken up over 70 landmark projects in the last seven years like the EV policy, doorstep deliveries of services, installation of CCTVS, streetlights, Health Information Management System, Rozgaar Bazaar...,” he said.
During the same press briefing, Kejriwal addressed his party’s campaign in poll-bound Gujarat and said the AAP had made schools “a part of mainstream political discourse”.
Commenting on Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching a “Mission School of Excellence” in Gujarat on Wednesday, Kejriwal said, “I am happy that even after 75 years government schools have become part of the mainstream politics. AAP has prompted political parties to do this. We know how to do this.”
Controversy over vice-chairman’s role
The notice to the DDC vice-chairperson came over a month after Parvesh Singh Verma, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from West Delhi asked Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena to remove
Shah from his position, alleging that he was using his office for “political activities” and attending debates on TV on behalf of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The LG then forwarded this complaint to the planning department.
The DDC vice-chairperson holds the rank of a minister in the Delhi government and is entitled to pay, allowance and other facilities at par with other ministers
In a statement on Monday, Jasmine Shah accused the LG of overreach and said “only the chief minister has the power to remove” the DDC vice-chair.
Officials in the LG’S office did not respond to requests seeking comment.
Spokespersons of the BJP, however, insisted that Shah be removed from his position.
“Jasmine Shah, being a government official, is not allowed as per rules to participate in TV debates on behalf of AAP. He has been doing so for a long time. He must be sacked immediately,” said Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor.
Kejriwal also reiterated his allegation that CBI’S ongoing investigation against his deputy Manish Sisodia was a ploy to hinder the party’s preparations ahead of the Gujarat elections.
“Manish has been pressured many times to quit AAP and join BJP in exchange for all cases against him being withdrawn and him being made Delhi chief minister… Nothing was found during raids against Sisodia. Where is all the scam money? Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain are not afraid of jail, which is why we call them today’s Bhagat Singh,” Kejriwal said.
Sisodia was on Monday questioned by CBI in connection with their ongoing probe into alleged irregularities in Delhi’s 2021-22 excise policy. Jain was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in May in connection with a money laundering probe against him, his family and associates. Both have denied wrongdoing in the respective cases.