Aam Aadmi Party's young mantris work on pledges

NEW DELHI: In the “cabinet of equals”, as AAP describes it, portfolio distribution clearly shows former journalist-turned-activist and his confidant, Manish Sisodia, as No. 2. He has been given a wide range of responsibilities with the departments of education, higher education, PWD, urban development, local bodies, land and building and revenue.

“I have a keen interest in education and it will be a priority with me to see that the private sector in the education system is freed of donations and the managements understand that education is not for profit. I seek to bring transparency and standardization in the fee guidelines,” said Sisodia . “There are 199 schools in the pipeline—most of the cases pending for over a year. We will expedite these to deliver the dream of 500 schools promised by AAP.” Sisodia agrees with the the LG’s guidelines on nursery education.

Department of administrative reforms, law, tourism and art and culture are with Somnath Bharti, a lawyer who turned to politics for reform. “In keeping with our promise, we will soon bring the Jan Lokayukta Bill and pave the way for a strong watchdog. This would require repealing the existing Lokayukta law,” Bharti said. He has also issued directions to the department to prepare a proposal for expediting decisions in regular cases within six months to one year and in cases related to violence against women within three to six months.

Saurabh Bharadwaj is the new minister for transport, food and supply, environment, election and general administration . “We will decide to scrap BRT only after studying the high court orders in the matter. I have also reviewed the ‘Annshree-cash for food’ scheme,” he told TOI.

The youngest minister at 26, Rakhi Birla confidently addressed a review meeting telling her officers to work honestly . She holds the department of women and child welfare, social welfare and languages. The CM, soon after taking charge, directed her to focus on women safety. “Soon we will firm up the framework of the woman commando force promised by AAP. It will be trained by retired army officers and paid a basic salary,” said Birla.

Visit to 5 hospitals

The urgency to deliver kept AAP ministers on their toes on the first day. Satyendra Kumar Jain, who took over as Delhi’s health minister, set off on a round of hospitals soon after taking charge. He visited five hospitals, including Lok Nayak, GB Pant, Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences (MAIDS) in central Delhi and Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in northwest Delhi.