Delhi govt makes strong pitch for statehood

NEW DELHI: Lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung's first statement before the sixth Delhi assembly on Tuesday spelt out the new government's policy for Delhi. Taking off from the Aam Aadmi Party manifesto, the speech reiterated the government's resolve to make Delhi a safer place for women and a city that "carries the dreams and aspirations of young and old, poor and rich, women and men, regardless of caste, creed or religion".

The address listed the government's priorities, from making Delhi a digital capital to implementing Swaraj and providing water and power to every level of society. One of the first promises was about establishing a Jan Lokpal for 'time-bound investigation in corruption cases', although, unlike last year, no timeframe was provided for its implementation. The government has also promised to protect whistleblowers.

Swaraj, another pet project of the AAP government, is on the cards. A Citizen Local Area Development Fund will be set up to be used by local communities.

The issue of full statehood for Delhi dominated proceedings on Tuesday, and both Jung and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal raised it in their addresses. A government statement linked statehood to security and affordable housing: "The provision of critical public services such as law and order and low-cost housing would happen more smoothly if Delhi were accorded autonomy as a full-fledged state with greater control over these aspects. The Centre's publicly stated position of promoting cooperative federalism will hopefully help in securing genuine autonomy for Delhi's governance. The ultimate aim is to ensure that institutions such as DDA, MCD and Delhi Police are accountable to the elected government of Delhi."

The government has linked the demand for full statehood to women's safety. "My government will not let any fund crunch come in the way of putting in place safety and security measures for women...Government will exert itself to provide effective last-mile connectivity in Delhi's public transit system to ensure that women are able to travel safely and securely. To ensure speedy justice, my government will create fast-track courts dedicated to handling cases of sexual assault and other crimes against women," the LG stated. The promise of creating a Mahila Suraksha Dal finds place in the government's new agenda, and home guards and civil defence volunteers will constitute it.

The government also addressed the issue of funding, saying the deficit previous governments faced was not of funds but intent. "This financial year, Delhi has a total budget of around Rs 37,000 crore which, if used optimally, can truly create a new blueprint of development. How effectively and honestly these funds are deployed is the key to meeting our commitment of inclusive and holistic development," the LG said.

The speech also stressed on improvement in the education and health sectors. On trade, the LG said, "The government is firm on its commitment to insulate Delhi's traders from inspector raj. We will discourage raids on traders and create a bond of trust between them and the government".