New Delhi: With the overwhelming vote from the people of Delhi in his favour, Chief Minister-designate Arvind Kejriwal has been saddled with the challenging responsibility of meeting the collective and varied aspirations of the 17 million residents inhabiting one of the world’s largest and most densely populated cities.
Delhi’s unique position as a city-state and India’s capital ensures that the four civic bodies, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and last, but not the least, the Delhi Police, are controlled by the union government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While DDA falls under the urban development ministry, the civic bodies and the Delhi Police are under the home ministry.
So, it’s one thing for Kejriwal to promise subsidised water and power, but when it comes to law and order, legalising squatter settlements and shantytowns – called unauthorised colonies – and even providing housing, he is likely to have a tough time keeping his promises – a fact repeatedly raised by former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit.
Kejriwal’s promise of building permanent houses for slum dwellers can only be termed lip service as not all land in Delhi belongs to the state government. According to Shailaja Chandra, a former Delhi chief secretary: “If some land belongs to the Delhi government, only then it can be used for such purpose. Otherwise, if according to the Delhi Master Plan, the demarcated land has to be used for forest cover or educational institutions and hospitals, then nothing much can be done by the Delhi government.”
“As far as passing bills in the assembly is concerned, it will be difficult as almost all laws go to the Centre for approval,” Chandra said.
According to Chandra, what Kejriwal can do is to order constructions like hospitals and schools and the like, but the Delhi government coffers do not have enough money for that. (IANS)
