Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit spoke at length on Friday about the achievements and initiatives undertaken by her government.
Presiding over the State-level Republic Day function organised at Chhatrasal Stadium here, Ms. Dikshit, who unfurled the National Flag for the 15th consecutive time, also inspected a guard of honour and took the salute of a parade presented by contingents of Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, Home Guard, Civil Defence, NCC and school children.
The Chief Minister used the occasion to spell out the works undertaken by her government. She said the traffic situation in Delhi had eased substantially with the coming up of 75 new flyovers and declared that the iconic Signature Bridge over the Yamuna would also open in a few months. On other infrastructure initiatives, she said work on the extension of the Barapulla elevated road would begin soon and the renovated Kashmere Gate ISBT would be commissioned in a few months.
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For the welfare of the people at large, Ms. Dikshit said the Delhi Government has granted ownership rights in 45 resettlement colonies and would soon also announce regularisation of more unauthorised colonies. “Our government has been repeatedly being returned to power in one after another elections which testifies that we have fulfilled the promises made and we are committed to fulfil the aspirations of the every sections of the society,” she said.
Ms. Dikshit also spoke about the various pension schemes which have been started. She said these are benefiting widows, aged persons and handicapped persons. Besides, Delhi has also become the first State to give pension to HIV/AIDS affected persons.
Apart from this, she said the Delhi Government is now sanctioning loans of up to Rs.5 lakh on easy terms to SC/ST persons to start their own self-employment ventures.
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For enhancing food security, she said Dilli Annshree Scheme has been launched on the basis of Aadhaar-based Direct Cash Transfer Mode. With this Delhi has become the first State to implement this mode to overcome leakage, corruption and other irregularities in transfer of benefits to poorest persons.
Raising the issue of women’s security, Ms. Dikshit termed the December 16 gang-rape a “blot on the history”. She said the Delhi Government had made the Union Government realize that the Delhi Police should be made more responsive and vigilant to ensure proper safety and security to the citizens, especially women.
The Chief Minister said for women empowerment, 140 Gender Resource Centres have also been opened and these have been imparting useful training to help women earn their own livelihood.
For improving the functioning of the Delhi Government departments, Ms. Dikshit said e-sub-registrar offices and e-courts have been commissioned, e-stamps introduced and various services brought under the e-SLA (service lease agreement) mode. Besides, she said the trifurcation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has started yielding good results and the 50 per cent reservation of seats for women in the three corporations have made them more confident and responsible.
The Delhi Government, she said, is taking up strengthening of 673 roads which were transferred to it from the corporations. These works would cost nearly Rs.1,800 crore. She said the public transport is also being strengthened and the goal is to take the number of buses to 11,000, expand the Metro by another 140 km in its Phase III and to initiate the first phase of the Monorail project in East Delhi.