Construction of roads and drains in unauthorised colonies, installation of CCTV cameras and completion of the Mohalla Clinics project will be on the Aam Aadmi Party government’s to-do list in the coming year, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday.
On the eve of the third anniversary of the AAP’s government swearing-in, Mr. Kejriwal highlighted what his government had delivered so far and what was remaining.
The thrust on infrastructure development, particularly in unauthorised colonies, comes at a time when 20 Assembly constituencies are looking at potential by-polls as the MLAs were disqualified recently for holding an office of profit. Though the matter is pending with the Delhi High Court, political parties have started preparing for by-elections.
‘Next door neighbours’
Speaking to a crowd of MLAs and officers on Wednesday, Mr. Kejriwal said Delhiites had undertaken an experiment three years ago by choosing “next door neighbours” and discarding existing parties.
Listing important projects for the coming financial year, Mr. Kejriwal said: “There will be massive investment in roads. Within a year, roads and drains in all unauthorised colonies would be constructed.”
Referring to one of the AAP’s manifesto promises, Mr. Kejriwal said people kept asking when the free WiFi service would start. He said the entire budget for the service would be allocated in 2018-2019.
“There has been a lot of investment in infrastructure over the years in Delhi, but 70% to 80% of Delhi has been left out. It is our vision that Delhi becomes a vibrant, pollution-free and smart city,” he said.
Hitting out at the BJP-ruled Centre, Mr. Kejriwal said it was a first anywhere in the country that all the files of a State government were investigated, referring to the Shunglu Committee looking into 440 files of the AAP government.
“They kept our files for four months and found nothing. We say give us your [BJP government] files for four days and we will make you remember your grandmother,” said Mr. Kejriwal.
‘Dirty politics’
Terming it “dirty politics,” Mr. Kejriwal said “fake cases” had been filed against AAP MLAs and Bills passed by the Delhi Assembly, including the Jan Lokpal Bill, were kept pending by the Centre.
Mr. Kejriwal and the Cabinet took a total of 16 questions from the public via phone calls and social media. It was in response to a question from a caller from Seemapuri that Mr. Kejriwal said the mohalla clinics project would be completed in six to nine months. The Chief Minister was asked via Facebook if any major aesthetic changes would be made to Delhi and if the government was working with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in mind.
“We are not working with the point of view of the general elections. But, we are repairing roads and landscaping those roads over 100 feet in width,” he said.