The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has conducted meetings with citizens across the city regarding the Delhi government’s plan to provide free metro and bus rides to women. On June 3, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced the government plans to offer free rides to women on the metro and buses.
The party said that its workers held about 200 meetings with the public over the weekend. It added that around 95% of the people were in favour of the scheme and 100% of women supported the scheme.
Mr. Kejriwal had earlier directed AAP MLAs, councillors and the party’s women’s wing to organise public meetings to engage directly with the people on the issue.
Workable suggestions
“Along with their support, the people have also offered the government several workable suggestions for the smooth implementation of the plan. The Delhi government will consider all such suggestions and feedback and incorporate them into the final plan after due assessment,” read a statement issued by the party.
The Opposition has decried the government’s plan as “misleading” and a “poll plank” inspired by AAP’s defeat in the recent Lok Sabha elections. It also questioned why no such efforts had been made over the last four-and-a-half years that the AAP government had been in power.
On June 6, Union Minister of State (Independent charge) Hardeep Puri had said that the Delhi government had not yet sent any proposal to the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry or the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation regarding free metro rides for women.
