Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday pledged to rejuvenate river Yamuna, make the national Capital’s infrastructure the best in the country, and ensure progress in all sectors such as transport, education, water supply, housing and welfare.
CM Gupta was speaking at Independence Day celebrations at Chhatrasal Stadium in north Delhi.
“Yamuna was neglected for years, no action was taken to fix its pollution. I promise that we will restore Yamuna to its full glory. Right from the first day, the government has dedicated itself to cleaning Yamuna. The government has started a time bound action plan such as installation of decentralised sewage treatment plants to clean Yamuna”, she said.
“We are committed to provide better infrastructure, clean water to the people. Delhi belongs to everyone from slums to unauthorised colonies, to affluent colonies…. It has everything but lacks piped water supply..… Many parties have ruled Delhi but it could not be done. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has dedicated itself to providing the best infrastructure in the country to Delhi, the work is going on towards this,” said Gupta.
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Every year, the Delhi government holds Independence Day celebrations at Chhatrasal Stadium where a ceremonial parade featuring contingents from the Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, and school students is held. The CM unfurls the national flag and inspects the parade.
“Delhi needs better roads. Soon after coming to power, we started fixing waterlogging spots in the city. Now we see an improvement in waterlogging problems,” said CM Gupta.
Gupta said her government is committed to providing clean water and piped supply to all, from slums and unauthorised colonies to affluent neighbourhoods — a promise she said previous governments had failed to fulfil.
The CM announced several welfare measures, including that the government will create a board for gig workers, provide housing for all slum dwellers, and establish crèches for working women.
CM referred to the recently passed education bill to check arbitrary fee hikes in private schools, and said the government will distribute laptops to meritorious students, and talent hunts will be organised to promote excellence among students. The government has also increased rewards for sportspersons to encourage youth participation in sports.
“Until now, the governments of Delhi have not taken sports seriously, but our government has decided to provide the highest prize money compared to other states in the country to encourage them and will also provide them with government jobs,” Gupta said.
Highlighting achievements in healthcare, Gupta said that on her government’s first day in office, the Ayushman Bharat Yojana was implemented in Delhi.
Since February 20, around 4.5 lakh people have enrolled in the health insurance scheme, and 166 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (neighbourhood clinics) have been opened.
The CM further flagged reforms made by the BJP government to streamline licensing processes for ease of doing business, promising development across transport, sanitation, education, and infrastructure.
“Delhi government is working with complete honesty and ensuring the optimum use of every penny for the welfare of the people. We will walk along and take Delhi forward,” CM said.