New Delhi CM Atishi has to ensure pending projects pick up momentum

Atishi

The new Delhi Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Atishi, who took the oath of office on Saturday, has a long list of pending projects, schemes and new initiatives to be launched in the next few months, ahead of the Assembly polls due early next year.

Atishi will have to hit the ground running to accelerate the city government's functioning and ensure that the flagship projects and schemes are back on track after those slowed down for months due to the imprisonment of her predecessor, Arvind Kejriwal.

Due to the five-month-long judicial custody of Kejriwal in the excise policy case, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has been struggling to address issues related to basic services and infrastructure, including roads, water supply and sewer and medicines, owing to a fund crunch, as claimed by party leaders.

Atishi will have to deal with these and much more during her short span of chief ministership, apart from ensuring the implementation of Kejriwal's promise to provide an honorarium of Rs 1,000 to the eligible women in Delhi under the proposed "Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana".

The immediate task before her will be allocating portfolios among the ministers in consultation with the party, holding the crucial National Capital Civil Services Authority meeting for Group-A postings, resuming the doorstep delivery of services scheme, approving the Delhi EV Policy 2.0 and the Solar Policy, among others, officials said.

The new chief minister will also be involved in hectic meetings to speed up the pending work on welfare schemes and infrastructure projects related to roads, water supply, sewerage, pollution, disbursal of subsidies and wage revision of workers in the unorganised sector.

The most daunting task before Atishi, however, will be to establish healthy relations with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena in view of the latter's approvals required for a variety of governance as well as development work of the Delhi government, the officials said.

Projects and schemes, such as mohalla clinics and premium buses, inauguration of hospitals, schools and flyovers, and new initiatives could materialise in the coming weeks with the new chief minister taking charge, they added.

After being chosen as Kejriwal's replacement, Atishi had said her two goals in the next few months would include protecting the interests of Delhiites against the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) alleged attempts to stall the schemes of providing free electricity, water, healthcare, education, bus rides for women, pilgrimage for the elderly run by the AAP government.

According to the new chief minister, her next goal would be to ensure a triumphant return of Kejriwal to the top post after the Delhi Assembly polls due in February.

Atishi has said a very big responsibility has been given to her and she would run the government under Kejriwal's "guidance".