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India Gazette
2 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
AAP govt ended 'Inspector Raj' in Delhi, BJP reintstated it: Saurabh Bharadwaj
New Delhi [India], June 19 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday said 'red-tapism is back', 'corruption is thriving' and Delhi's businesspersons are once again under the thumb of officials. AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj has hit out at the BJP for turning the clock back on ease of business in the capital. 'From making trade licences deliberately complex to unleashing a fresh wave of 'Inspector Raj', the BJP is deliberately choking Delhi's traditional markets, already struggling in the age of e-commerce, with even plans to shift historic bazaars like Chandni Chowk out of the city.' Criticising the BJP-led MCD for 'harassing' Delhi's businesspersons, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said, 'At a time when countries across the world are finding new ways to ease doing business and simplifying complex licensing systems through IT and computerisation, the BJP has done the exact opposite after forming its government in MCD. They have begun squeezing businesspeople the moment they assumed power.' Pointing to the deliberate 'complexity' of trade licence procedures, he asserted, 'It's clear that the way trade licences are being made unnecessarily complicated, there is corruption hidden behind this complexity. Any process that is deliberately made difficult directly benefits corrupt officials, who exploit businesspersons through harassment and extortion. Making the licensing process more complex is nothing but a gateway to bribery.' Highlighting how the system has been 'regressed', Saurabh Bharadwaj emphasised, 'What used to be a simple and streamlined process is now being damaged to bring back 'Inspector Raj' in Delhi. Officials will now start visiting shops again, demanding arbitrary bribes and threatening businesspersons.' Exposing how 'businesspersons will be extorted under the new regime', he stated, 'Shopkeepers will now be intimidated with the threat that if they don't pay up, their shops can be sealed--because the officers have been given that power. This opens the door to rampant exploitation.' Earlier, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Thursday said that former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was 'surprised' at the work BJP government has achieved in the first 100 days of its tenure in the national capital. 'Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who came to meet Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. There was a discussion about the services they provide through NGOs. We also discussed that CM Rekha Gupta completed that in 100 days... He was surprised that achieving this much work in 100 days was possible... He is amused to meet the chief minister of over 30 million people, a very significant figure when compared to the European population,' Sirsa said. Blair met CM Rekha Gupta and Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa at the Delhi Secretariat here on Thursday. (ANI)
India Gazette
14-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"BJP's Delhi Govt handing out 'prasads' of misery to every section of society": AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj
New Delhi [India], June 14 (ANI): Senior AAP leader and Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj has come down heavily on the BJP, accusing it of betraying its promises and delivering 'prasads' of suffering to the people of Delhi--10.5% Power Purchase Adjustment Charges (PPAC) hike, not fulfilling the promise of removing pension charges, and 14-hour blackouts in peak summer. He alleged that in just four months of forming its government in Delhi, the BJP has unleashed a barrage of miseries on every section of society, pointing out 'fee hikes for the middle class, bulldozers over jhuggis, and now soaring electricity bills.' During a press conference, pointing to BJP's 'relentless assault' on every section of society since coming to power in Delhi, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, 'The BJP seems to have taken a vow that no section will be spared--they are determined to hand over the 'prasads' of their governance to every citizen. The moment they came to power, they increased fees in private schools and gave a 'prasad' to the middle class. Then came demolition drives targeting people living in jhuggis, another 'prasad' for the downtrodden. And now, with the onset of peak summer in May and June, they've delivered yet another gift--by hiking the PPAC for the entire city.' Showing a video of a BJP event from July 2024, he stated that at that time, the BJP was furious that the PPAC had been increased by 8%. 'When this hike happened in 2024, BJP leaders had publicly called Arvind Kejriwal a thief. They said the increase was proof of collusion between the Delhi government and power companies, and even called it corruption,' he said. Challenging the BJP to stand by their past claims, the senior AAP leader said, 'Today, with the BJP in power, the PPAC hasn't increased by 8-8.5%, it has increased by 10.5%. So I want to ask Virendra Sachdeva: if an 8% hike made the then Delhi government a thief, then what would you call your own 10% hike? Will you now call your government thieves, robbers, or 'mahachors'?' Demanding action from the BJP on its earlier commitments, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, 'According to BJP's Virendra Sachdeva, the responsibility to pay pensions to retired employees of power companies doesn't lie with the companies, nor with the government. He had declared that pension charges in electricity bills were unjustified and should be removed. Now that the BJP is running the government, why are these charges still there? It's been four months. When will they be removed?' 'The BJP had said that consumers should not be made to pay pension for electricity company employees. If that's what they believed, then why hasn't their government removed the 8% pension charge yet?' he added. The AAP Delhi President said that electricity bills have increased under the BJP, and Delhi is now facing long and unbearable power cuts. 'In this scorching heat, people are spending entire nights without electricity. This has never happened before. Today's newspaper reported that in Chhatarpur, power went out at 8 PM and returned at 10 AM the next day--a 14-hour blackout. Angry residents blocked roads and raised slogans against the government,' he said. 'This situation is not limited to one area. People in upscale localities like Greater Kailash are also suffering. Residents told me they never needed inverters in the past ten years, but now, every household is installing one. They say--even if we can't run the AC, at least we should be able to run a fan. That's how bad things have become,' he added. Bharadwaj alleged that the BJP government had raised PPAC and made electricity unaffordable. 'They've allowed long power cuts to become routine, forcing people to spend sleepless nights. And third, the pension charges in electricity bills--charges they themselves called unjust--are still being collected. When is the BJP going to remove them? The people of Delhi are watching, and they are waiting for answers,' he said. (ANI)
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Slight respite from heat as mercury drops by over two degrees; rain forecast for today
The national capital received a slight respite from the heatwave on Friday due to a partly cloudy sky and gusty winds, as the maximum temperature dropped to 41.2 degrees Celsius, 1.3 notches above normal, from 43.9 degrees Celsius recorded the previous day. According to the Safdarjung weather observatory, the minimum temperature for the day was 31 degrees Celsius, three degrees above normal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast 'very light' rainfall on Saturday, and the maximum temperature between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius. According to the weather department, the Capital might receive 'very light' to 'moderate' rain till June 19, with the maximum temperature likely to remain under 40 degrees Celsius. Though 'very light' rain was forecast for Friday, no such rain was recorded at any weather station in the Capital. Patients influx Doctors at several hospitals in the city said that the number of patients complaining of heat-related ailments has increased over the past few days. 'Patients complaining of low blood pressure, diarrhoea, dizziness, abdomen pain, vomiting, and dehydration are increasing. Those with severe illness are being admitted,' said Dr. Gude Tejaswini at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital, adding that several patients had fallen ill following prolonged exposure to the sun. Heat advisory The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued an advisory for informal workers. The advisory instructed the authorities to encourage split shifts with extended breaks between 12.00 p.m. and 4 p.m. 'Ensure safe drinking water is available at all informal workplaces. Install hydration stations in high-footfall areas such as markets and transit hubs. Encourage water breaks and provide refillable bottles,' read the advisory dated Thursday. The NDMA also ordered the distribution of oral rehydration solution, glucose, cooling towels, caps, and breathable clothes to workers. 'Set up temporary shade structures at workplaces and congregation points. Push for shaded pedestrian paths and covered bus stops in urban planning,' added the advisory. Power cuts Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the city, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that amid scorching heat, people are suffering 'frequent power cuts' and 'inflated electricity bills'. 'This is the condition in Delhi today. Firstly, the BJP government raised the tariffs on electricity, making it unaffordable. Secondly, they've allowed long power cuts to become routine, forcing people to spend sleepless nights,' said AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj in a press conference. There was no response from the Delhi BJP till the time of going to press.
NDTV
03-06-2025
- General
- NDTV
Delhi Public Works Department Posts Pictures Of Workers Entering Drain. Then Deletes
Armed with just a shovel, a group of labourers, with no protective gear of gloves, entered the sewers in Delhi's Rohini, in violation of the Supreme Court order. The images were posted on X by the Public Works Department (PWD), saying desilting work is underway. A backlash followed. Soon after, the post was deleted. Ahead of the monsoon, the PWD is clearing drains and removing obstructions from roads across Delhi to prevent waterlogging. The disturbing images, of labourers surrounded by filth, allowed the opposition to target the government. Despite Supreme Court directives and existing laws, manual scavenging continues in various parts of the country. The court has repeatedly stressed the importance of ensuring worker safety and prohibiting manual handling of waste. "The BJP government has always exploited Dalits and the poor. Look at how manual scavenging is being carried out. Legal action should be taken against this," Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj posted. Soon after, the PWD deleted the post. When NDTV questioned Chief Minister Rekha Gupta as to why manual scavenging was still taking place in Delhi despite Supreme Court directives, she said, "The government is preparing for the monsoon. In some areas, it's not possible to use machines, so labourers have been deployed. However, the Delhi government is working in accordance with court orders." A worker recently died while cleaning a drain linked to the Delhi Jal Board. According to Government of India data, 377 people died during drain cleaning between 2019 and 2023. In Delhi alone, 72 deaths occurred during cleaning activities between 2013 and 2024, as per the National Commission for Safai Karamchari. What was the Supreme Court's ruling? In a landmark 2014 ruling, the Supreme Court issued a series of directives to stop manual cleaning of waste and sewage. The court declared that no labourer should be made to clean dangerous sewers. Workers should not be sent into sewer lines without proper safety equipment, it said. The law provides for strict punishment against violators. The court instructed all states and union territories to implement the 2013 law aimed at ending the practice of manual scavenging and ensuring rehabilitation for the victims. While the case was pending in the Supreme Court, the central government enacted the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013. The petitioners demanded protection of their right to life and equality.
Indian Express
03-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
‘Machines don't work everywhere': CM as PWD posts pics of labourers cleaning drain without safety gear
A social media post put up by the Public Works Department (PWD) on its official X handle on Tuesday, showing labourers waist-deep in a stormwater drain while carrying out desilting work on a road in North West Delhi's Rohini, has triggered criticism from various quarters. In the pictures posted by the PWD, eight labourers were seen at the site. Four of them were inside a drain, scooping out garbage and silt without wearing shirts or proper safety gear like boots, gloves, and masks for protection. Responding to the controversy, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, 'Look, every drain has its own situation. Machines don't work everywhere, and people don't work everywhere either. There may be places where machines can't reach. Right now, the government's target is to ensure that all drains are completely cleaned, and the work is being carried out with full attention to the court's guidelines.' The post, which sparked the row, has now been deleted, and officials said that a PWD junior engineer has been placed under suspension. Lashing out at the ruling party, AAP Delhi convenor Saurabh Bharadwaj tagged the Delhi Police Commissioner in his post on X and alleged that manual scavenging, which is illegal in India, was being carried out at the site. 'The BJP government has always exploited the Dalits and the poor. See how manual scavenging is being done. Legal action should be taken against them @CPDelhi.' As per the PWD post, in which the CM and PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh were also tagged, the labourers were working on Road number 41A, Rohini. When asked about manual scavenging claims, a senior PWD official said that the drains falling under its jurisdiction are stormwater drains where only rainwater enters. 'Manual scavenging is when a worker is entering the sewer, which is filled with human wastes and excreta…But PWD drains are stormwater drains, which only carry out rainwater, and the department uses machines for desilting work. In these areas, machines cannot enter due to narrow lanes. Workers wearing proper safety gear are deployed,' said the official. He said the PWD took cognizance of the pictures posted on its handle and has taken action against the junior engineer of that area. 'We saw that workers were not wearing any safety gear… not even gloves…Seeing the seriousness of the matter, we have placed the JE concerned under suspension and have also issued warning orders to all the engineers in this regard…They have also been asked to ensure that the workers are equipped with proper gear,' said the official. Manual scavenging is the practice of removing human excreta by hand from sewers or septic tanks. India banned the practice under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 (PEMSR). Hundreds of manual scavengers have died in the past decade after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning sewers and septic tanks. In 2013, the definition of manual scavengers was also broadened to include people employed to clean septic tanks, ditches, or railway tracks. The Act recognises manual scavenging as a 'dehumanising practice,' and cites a need to 'correct the historical injustice and indignity suffered by the manual scavengers'. However, in Delhi, PWD has been blaming the MCD for the illegal puncturing of stormwater drains over the years, especially during monsoon, when waterlogging occurs. This makes the implementation of the Act difficult, as per officials. PWD manages about 2,100 km of stormwater drains and manages 12,892 small drains spread over around 6,067 km. These merge with big drains like Najafgarh and Barapullah drain, which come under the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (I&FC), and as some big drains cannot be tapped, the untreated water eventually flows into Yamuna. As part of the pre-monsoon drive to prevent waterlogging, the desilting work is being carried out by the PWD on a large scale across the city. The department had earlier posted pictures of several other areas like Munirka, Mangolpuri, Safdarjung enclave, Mayur Vihar, IIT Delhi, Lajpat Nagar, Jangpura, New Friends Colony, and several other locations where workers are seen inside the drains cleaning it. Last month, L-G VK Saxena and the CM visited a site in South Delhi's Barapullah where workers were cleaning drains without wearing any safety gear.
