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The Hindu
3 hours ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
My biggest challenge is to draft policies for an unplanned city, says Delhi CM Rekha Gupta
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was the inaugural guest at the new series of thoughtful conversations, The Hindu 'Mind', launched and curated by The Hindu. She speaks to Nistula Hebbar on a host of issues facing the national capital and her plans to address them. Edited excerpts: You completed 100 days as CM on May 30. What has been the biggest challenge you faced in this period? Actually, I could not even imagine that the arrangements for the whole of Delhi were so challenging. Staying outside the system, I saw that Delhi was running. But when I stood inside the system, I saw that Delhi was running like a vehicle without wheels, at the mercy of fate with no holistic planning for Delhi and its infrastructure, its needs. I soon realised that the expectations of the people of Delhi, which is the capital of the country, had shrunk to such an extent that a Delhiite today does not want to ask anything big from you. His wishes have been limited to such an extent that all he is asking you is to just get the drain in front of his house fixed. It is as if Delhiites have lost all scope of thinking bigger than that in the last 20-25 years. So that is the challenge that I see – a condition where you have to start from almost zero, that you don't have any count of the population of an unplanned city which is the capital of the country. There is no draft of what you want to do and how will you do it. There is no vision for this. That continues to be the biggest challenge. Nowadays we have seen a lot that there is a lot of bitterness and acrimony in the political culture. Since you took over, have you had any interaction with the two former CMs, Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi? I have not had any interaction with Arvind Kejriwal because I think that the day the results came, he immediately picked up his bag and left for Punjab. Punjab is also where you went for campaigning for the Ludhiana bypoll. I had gone to look for him. I thought I should find him. Did you meet him there? I did not meet him but I did convey via my meetings there that the people of Delhi are calling you [Kejriwal]. Till yesterday you were the son of Delhi and now suddenly you have become the son of Punjab. I conveyed to the people of Punjab the wounds that he has given to Delhi. But I get to meet Atishiji during the Assembly session. I remember that in the first session, those people [Aam Aadmi Party MLAs] made big noise and came with placards that you people [the government] have removed the photographs Bhagat Singhji and Babasaheb Ambedkar from office of the CM. I asked my security to let Atishiji and other AAP MLAs enter my office. I made them sit and gave them tea and said, look bhai, you have the photographs here, I am also there, the room is also the same. Why are you making this noise? I understand that one should continue efforts to talk to the Opposition. The two big campaign issues for the BJP in the Delhi poll were the alleged excise scam and the 'Sheesh Mahal' issue. What is happening there? The Arvind Kejriwal government's excise policy, in which he gave free liquor with one purchase, was unprecedented. And similarly, he built a Sheesh Mahal for himself. The negative reaction in terms of poll results to the Sheesh Mahal was also because it was done by someone who used to sit in Ramlila Maidan and say that I don't want anything, no car, no bungalow, not even any post, and later went on to acquire everything. Both these subjects touch the public and we want to take decisions after a lot of thought. We want to bring a very transparent and people-friendly excise policy and for this we have done a lot of homework to find out comparative policies in other States, a policy in which the standards of society, revenue parameters should be met with complete transparency. We have engaged a team of our officers to go into it, and we will be able to bring a good, transparent and economically viable excise policy for Delhi very soon. As for the Sheesh Mahal, it has become like a white elephant for the government. But I definitely assure the people of Delhi that every penny of taxpayers' money will be fully utilised. Some people feel that it should be made a State guest house, others feel that it should be sold, still others feel it should be a museum. Some people have also suggested that I should stay in it. Will you? No, I had made it clear on the first day itself that I don't want to be in it. We will bring a proposal that it should be useful for the public and the government should generate revenue from it. We speak about developed Delhi but recently we have seen incidents like the fire in a residential complex in Dwarka where to save their lives, some people jumped from the ninth floor because the Fire Department people took a lot of time in arriving. We are in the process of addressing this. We have made a provision in our budget for upgrading of facilities for disaster management, on how to deal with floods, earthquakes, the possibilities of these disasters happening. We started dealing with all these things in just 100 days and have started planning for it. In 2023, the then government in Delhi was totally unprepared for the kind of floods that happened. The barricades of the [Yamuna] barrage could not be opened since they had remained closed for years, and the water could not flow out. Today we know that the rains are about to start, so before that we have completed the meetings on disaster management, flood management and everything else, completed the preparations, de-silting of drains in which in just four months we have removed 20 lakh metric tons of silt. The monsoon is almost upon us. Last year, the city saw massive urban waterlogging. What is your plan to deal with it? Every year, in June, the same photo of a bus stuck under a waterlogged Minto Bridge is published. The Congress government got 15 years, AAP got 11 years… they could not solve the problem created every year at one place. But today I can assure you that Minto Bridge will not be flooded. Not only Minto Bridge, we have identified all the waterlogging points in Delhi. For each of these points we have appointed a nodal officer to suggest solutions and who will be held responsible for any waterlogging there, on the premise that only through accountability and resources can you solve an intractable issue. Today I invite Kejriwalji to come… you ruled for 11 years, I am standing on the record of 100 days. Debate with me. What should have happened in Delhi and what did you do? Looking at your campaign for the Ludhiana bypoll, will you be going to Punjab during the Assembly election in 2027? Yes, 100%. Delhi has been pushed back 50 years by the AAP government in 11 years. It is my social responsibility that no other State of the country falls into the trap of such deceptive people. Lately, the issue of fee hikes by private schools has hit the headlines. You have brought the Delhi school education ordinance. Why not debate it in the Assembly first? Private schools are increasing their fees abnormally every year, but even today, private schools in Delhi are governed by the Delhi School Education Act, 1973 and nowhere in that Act is anything written about what schools should do to increase fees. There is just a line that says that you should increase your fees and intimate the Directorate of Education. The government used to go to court and used to fail because there was no law. For the first time after coming to power, we made a framework for it so that the schools can be governed. As for the ordinance route, the problem was that as soon as our government was formed, school admissions had started with some schools increasing fees. We had to react to the fact that children and parents were being harassed. We presented our complete report in court. Even the honourable court scolded the schools that you cannot do this and in the meantime, because no Assembly [session] was not on and we wanted to give immediate relief, we have brought it as an ordinance. An ordinance can survive for six months and in between you will have a session where the House will clear it. What ways beyond legislation are there to address these issues? People have made education a business. Some good people should come who accept it as a social service and deal with it in that manner. There is, however, another way which I understand. We have to make our government schools so good that people prefer sending their children there rather than face hassles in a private school. Leave aside other things. Tell me which leader's children study in a government school? They do not study because they know that we have not given the structure to the schools where their own children can study. So it is the responsibility of the government to make government schools better so that private schools will automatically come down. Interestingly, when we talk education at the university level and even at the postgraduation level, where do people want to go? They want to go to a government institution. We want that same preference for school education. The state of the Yamuna river has become a chronic issue for the city. What are your plans with regard to this forever problem? Look, this is the misfortune of the city. What we are now calling a problem was once the lifeline of Delhi, its claim to beauty. Slowly, when people started coming to Delhi in a non-planned manner, and governments never worried about what kind of infrastructure should be there. People kept settling down and sewers, drains, gutters kept falling directly into Yamunaji. And as this pile-up continued for years, the condition of Yamunaji became like that of a drain. There was much talk by previous governments that we will clean the Yamuna, but without addressing the things that have made the river dirty. Today, about 200 drains of Delhi fall into the Yamuna. Every drain in the entire city has its own shape and at some places, the drain is bigger than the river. The one which is called Sahibi river is Najafgarh drain, which falls completely into the Yamuna. We have made a detailed plan. For the first time, the government is seriously surveying through drones drains that are falling into the Yamuna and the amount of silt in it. For the first time, we have removed 20 lakh metric tons of silt from big drains through machines. The procedure and plan for tapping each drain is being followed. Decentralised sewage treatment plants (STPs) should be built on all the drains. We have allocated funds for the revival of existing STPs. Cleaning the Yamuna is not a one-day job, it will take around four-five years till all these decentralised STP plants are started. All the 1,750 unauthorised colonies in Delhi will have to have sewers that will have to be tapped so that not even a single drop of dirty water goes into Yamunaji. The e-flow of Yamuna will have to be increased, natural water will have to be created in it. A major issue with regard to Delhi is air pollution, which becomes particularly bad in what was once the most beautiful season in the city – autumn – and winter because of stubble burning. What are your plans to tackle this? First we need to recall what Kejriwal sahab used to say about fixing air pollution. He used to speak of a medicine that would get rid of stubble and that would fix the air in Delhi. Where is that medicine? Next, he used to speak of odd-even [traffic rule], which only made people buy an extra car, one with an odd number, another with even. To say all this, they spent ₹8 crore on advertisement. Then we came to know that a smog tower was installed somewhere. Only one was installed in 11 years, cost ₹25 lakh and malfunctioned within 6 months. To fix pollution, we need both intentions and policies. So, you will need the support of other governments to solve pollution – both Punjab and Haryana and the multiple agencies within NCR. We have made a plan to convert the public transport in Delhi to only electric vehicles and till now we have put 700 electric buses on the roads. We are planning to take the public transport completely on non-emission mode. We are trying to motivate the public to gradually completely shift from CNG to electric. As far as dust pollution is concerned, not just for the winter months but all year round, we installed 1,000 water sprinklers all over the city, since even today, if your AQI (Air Quality Index) gets higher, GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) is imposed by the court. So these sprinklers should run for 12 months and smog guns should be installed on all high-rise buildings. But how will you deal with this specific issue of stubble? Because that is outside the State, right? Haryana has just set up a plant where they buy stubble from farmers and after processing it, put it to some other use. We must attempt to set up more such plants in the same way, in Haryana, Punjab, U.P., which are on our NCR boundaries, and take their help. As far as I told you about vehicles in Delhi, we will have to certify even those vehicles which come from outside Delhi. The work we are doing is for the benefit of the public but it will take time. You can judge the performance in a time-bound manner. Why is it that Noida, Gurugram, the places around NCR are attracting business, housing, but not Delhi? We have had governments in Delhi which said that they we will turn Delhi into London, Paris. My point is to let Delhi remain Delhi only. Previous governments have created such a difficult situation in Delhi that no one can work here. Firstly, instead of maintaining talking terms with the multiple agencies running Delhi, you start abusing them, that the L-G did this, or the PM did that, etc. So which agency will stay here? Who will be able to work? Today the rate of electricity in Delhi is higher than in the whole country. Because you have made one segment completely free, while the industrial sector has to pay as much as ₹18 per unit of electricity. So you will have to do something to flatten it. If people want to come here and work, then we will have to bring a new industrial policy, a new warehousing policy. We have planned a traders' welfare board so that someone can also listen to the voice of the traders. Ease of doing business, single-window system, all this will have to be done to make Delhi trader-friendly, industry-friendly. One of the most important factors for this is a master plan, which will come very soon with proposals for land reforms. We are developing things related to infrastructure for our industrial areas. Currently, for different taxes, licences, people have to go to different agencies. All these issues are on the table. This is actually a very good time for Delhi for all this with the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi), Delhi government and Central government all being headed by the same party, a triple-engine government. Your term has just begun, but what do you wish to see as your legacy? My only goal is that when the public sees me, they should honestly feel that yes, our Chief Minister is here, working for us, doing everything she can for the welfare of the people.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘322 bank passbooks…': What probe agency found after raids in Delhi classroom construction ‘scam'
The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it had seized over 300 passbooks linked to mule accounts opened in the names of labourers that were allegedly used to divert the Delhi government funds from the 'classroom construction scam' during the previous Aam Aadmi Party regime. The Aam Aadmi Party dismissed the ED's action as a "desperate" bid to divert public attention.(HT file photo) The passbooks were seized after the probe agency conducted searches in connection with the case at 37 locations in Delhi on June 18. In a statement, the ED said officials have 'unearthed substantial incriminating evidence from the premises of a private contractor'. "Among the materials seized were original departmental files belonging to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi, as well as rubber stamps bearing the names and designations of officials from the Public Works Department (PWD)," it said. Also Read | AAP deceiving people with 'fake' edu, healthcare models: Congress The agency added that officials also found "322 bank passbooks linked to mule accounts (used for transacting illicit funds) opened in the names of labourers used to divert government funds under the guise of legitimate transactions". The agency also seized 'forged letterheads' of private contractors and shell entities, which were allegedly used to create fake procurement records and fictitious purchase bills. The ED said the case pertains to financial "misappropriation" exceeding ₹ 2,000 crore in the construction of 12,748 additional classrooms by the PWD between 2015 and 2023. Also Read | Union home ministry gives go ahead to ED to prosecute Kejriwal Despite an initial requirement for 2,405 classrooms, the project scope was "arbitrarily" increased to 7,180 equivalent classrooms and, subsequently, to 12,748 rooms "without" proper sanction or approvals, resulting in "massive" cost escalations, the agency said. Aam Aadmi Party reacts The Aam Aadmi Party dismissed the ED's action as a "desperate" bid to divert public attention, calling the allegations against its leaders "politically motivated." In a statement on June 18, the party said the 'so-called raids' were a diversionary tactic, describing the charges as baseless and timed to deflect focus from the BJP's 'anti-people actions.' The ED case, filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), stems from an FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) of Delhi on April 30 against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and former ministers in the cabinet of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal -- Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and some others.
New Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Row erupts after J&K CM Abdullah opposes flow of Indus water to Punjab; AAP, Congress, Akali Dal hit back
CHANDIGARH: A row has erupted after Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah opposed the flow of water from the three rivers of the Indus system in Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab, reminding the neighboring state of how it had 'maltreated' J&K for years. Political parties in Punjab including the Aam Aadmi Party, Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal have hit back, saying it's the responsibility of the Centre, which had put the Indus treaty in abeyance, to appropriately distribute the water and give Punjab its rightful share. Reacting to Omar Abdullah's statement that J&K will not give water from the Indus river to Punjab, AAP Punjab spokesperson Neel Garg accused him of deliberately politicizing the issue. Garg said the authority to decide on river waters lies with the Centre and Omar Abdullah cannot take a unilateral decision on the matter. He emphasized that Punjab should also get a share of the Indus water. Garg pointed out that, like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab is also a border state. Whenever war occurs, Punjab becomes the battleground, and when the country needs food grains, it becomes the granary of the nation. Now that there is water available, Punjab has a legitimate claim over it. "In the process of filling the nation's granaries, we have been deprived of our own water. Now that the Indus Water Treaty has been annulled, Punjab has the primary right over this water because it will not only bring relief to our barren lands but also boost our agriculture. When farmers prosper, the nation prospers," he said. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also criticized Omar, saying it was unbecoming of the JK CM to make such remarks. He regretted that Omar was now trying to politicize the issue and score some brownie points. 'Where will you send the water and where will you divert the canals?' he asked, pointing out that Punjab would be the natural course of flow for the canals. He noted that the statement smacks of partisan political rhetoric.
Hans India
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
‘Committed to clean Delhi air': Minister Sirsa after inspecting mist system
New Delhi: Delhi Minister for Environment Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Friday conducted an on-ground inspection of the Automatic Misting System installed along Lodhi Road and promised to clean the city's air on a war-footing. 'The people of Delhi haven't forgotten how previous governments looted public resources and left the city choking in neglect,' he said. Hitting out at the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, Sirsa said: 'They did nothing beyond false promises and photo-ops. Today, under our triple-engine government, Delhi is witnessing real, measurable change. We are investing in science, technology, and infrastructure, not scams. This is not just a new government, it's a new era of accountability and action.' Designed to suppress dust particles and reduce carbon emissions, the high-pressure mist sprayers are now operational not only in central Delhi but also on DDA-maintained roads in Dwarka, expanding the city's anti-pollution footprint to both core and outer zones. Speaking at the site, the Minister said: 'Delhi is transforming. We are deploying bold, data-driven, and technology-backed solutions to fight air pollution.' He said that Automatic Misting System is one such innovation that will become a benchmark for other states. The Lodhi Road project, now completed, spans 560 metres and includes 15 poles, each fitted with 30 high-pressure brass and stainless-steel misting nozzles. These nozzles operate at 40 BAR pressure, delivering ultra-fine mist at a rate of 2.8 LPH per nozzle. Supported by a 10 HP misting pump, the system includes SS pipelines, RO units, PVC tanks, a control panel, and a dedicated pump room — all completed at a total cost of Rs 34 lakh. In addition to Lodhi Road and Dwarka, similar installations are under execution at Africa Avenue (850 metres, 30 poles) and Shantipath (900 metres, 30 poles). The next phases will cover over 25 major roads which are prone to air pollution, including Bhagwan Das Road, Tilak Marg, Zakir Hussain Marg, Shahjahan Road, Ashoka Road, Hanuman Mandir, Khan Market, and more, the Minister said. He also highlighted the government's broader strategy which includes a year-round deployment of 1,000 water sprinklers, 140 anti-smog guns, 200 mechanical road sweepers, 70 electric litter pickers, and 38 water tankers. He said monitoring is ensured through GPS, camera sensors, and centralised dashboards. The Minister said all commercial high-rise buildings above 3,000 sq. meters — including malls and hotels — have been directed to install rooftop anti-smog guns. AI-driven tools are also being used to monitor compliance in construction and demolition sites.
Hans India
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Omar Abdullah deliberately politicising water sharing with Punjab: AAP
Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab on Friday questioned Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's remarks that 'we will not give water from the Indus River to Punjab' and accused him of deliberately politicising the issue. AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said the authority to decide on river waters lies with the Central government, and Omar Abdullah cannot take a unilateral decision on this matter. He emphasised that Punjab needs water and, therefore, Punjab should also get a share of the Indus River water, adding that during the war with Pakistan, the Indian government had decided to annul the Indus Water Treaty. 'Now, it is the Indian government's responsibility to appropriately distribute the remaining water and give Punjab its rightful share,' he said. Garg pointed out that like Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab is also a border state. 'Whenever war occurs, Punjab becomes the battleground. And when the country needs food grains, it becomes the granary of the nation. Now that there is water available, Punjab has a legitimate claim over it.' He highlighted that Punjab needs water today, as most of its regions have entered the dark zone. 'In the process of filling the nation's granaries, we have been deprived of our own water. Now that the Indus Water Treaty has been annulled, Punjab has the primary right over this water because it will not only bring relief to our barren lands but also boost our agriculture. When farmers prosper, the nation prospers,' he said. Garg added that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also stated, after the annulment of the Indus Treaty, that Punjab should receive a share of the water that is being prevented from flowing to Pakistan. 'Therefore, the government of India must consider this matter,' he said. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also expressed surprise at Omar Abdullah's statement. In a statement, former Minister and senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said what Omar Abdullah was demanding was another attempt to do injustice to Punjab. He said that while filling the food bowl of the country, Punjab had lost its groundwater, which had fallen to alarming levels. He said the quantity of water in rivers had also gone down substantially, adding that the farmers of Punjab had taken huge debt on their shoulders to fulfil the food requirement of the country. Earlier, speaking on constructing a canal by the government of India to divert excess water from three rivers of the Indus system in Jammu and Kashmir to Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan, Chief Minister Abdullah cited the 45-year-old Shahpur Kandi barrage dispute with Punjab and asked, 'Did they give us water?'
