By
Kumar Vikram
PUBLISHED: 22:17 GMT, 27 January 2014 | UPDATED: 22:17 GMT, 27 January 2014
A month ago was last year. For the Aam Aadmi Party and the people of Delhi it could as well be the last century, so stark is the contrast between its promises and delivery.
Over a lakh people gathered at New Delhi's Ramlila Ground on December 28, 2013 to see Arvind Kejriwal take the oath of office and become the Chief Minister of Delhi. Young AAP legislators became Cabinet members. Kejriwal sang a song. Hope floated, within reach it seemed.
One month of AAP rule, and things haven't changed as much as the new party vowed they would. Gimmickry has overshadowed governance: despite the chief minister's announcements, lakhs of people remain unsure if they'll get 700 litres of water free every day or if their power bills will be halved.
In any case, the old subsidy trick is what did it, and not the promised crackdown on the city's power companies or water utility. And there's already Vinod Kumar Binny, the rebel legislator who's hit the ground running against the man he called leader a few days ago.
Binny's allegations and the BJP's relentless opposition have hit home; Delhi residents are waiting for the latest power and water bills before they thank Kejriwal. The chief minister seems to be unaffected by criticism, be it from the Opposition, the man in the street, or even the President of India.
Indeed, Kejriwal on Monday said that his government is superior to others so far as work accomplished in one month is concerned.
"No other government has managed to get as much work done as ours," Kejriwal said at the Delhi Secretariat on Monday morning.
IT'S ONLY WORDS
It's in keeping with what he said while taking oath on December 28.
"Everybody is the chief minister," Kejriwal had said, for a "Janlokpal Bill would be passed in the Ramlila Ground very soon".
Apart from water and power, the AAP government has not delivered on any front. Addressing public grievances was hailed as one of the top priorities of the Delhi government. Kejriwal announced a Janta Darbar, to be held by the government outside the secretariat every day to directly address the complaints of common people. The first Janta Darbar held January 11 devolved into complete chaos within minutes of starting, and Kejriwal had to abandon his plan.
He then announced that he would meet people once a week and that complaints could be made online. On the Janlokpal Bill, Kejriwal has been assuring the Capital that it would be passed very soon. It's not in sight yet.
On Monday, a government spokesperson claimed that the Bill is likely to be approved by the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday as its draft has almost been finalised by a panel headed by chief secretary.
A source said the government is taking all steps to meet its first week of February deadline to pass the anti-corruption Bill during a special session of the Delhi Assembly at Ramlila Ground. Even on this issue, a face-off between the government and police seems likely. The police have said that the bill can't be passed in Ramlila Ground due to law and order problems.
Asked about the Delhi Police's reported objections on holding an Assembly Session at Ramlila Ground, the government spokesperson spoke of one-step-at-a-time policy, and said that the government would address the matter once it is ready with the draft and approval from the Cabinet.
Water
was the first issue to be addressed by Kejriwal as the new government
was formed on December 28. He implemented the promise of free water
supply of 667 litres a day. It was half a promise kept. People consuming
more than this amount felt deceived as they came to know that they
would have to pay the full bill. The freebie came with a spike in water
tariff by 10 per cent for consumption above 667 litres.
For about half the city population, who live in unauthorised and resettlement colonies like Okhla and Sangam Vihar, the freebie holds no importance as they don't have even pipelines to get water at their homes.
Riding on the anti-corruption wave, Kejriwal had promised corruption-free governance and action against corrupt officials through helplines and sting operations. The helpline was launched and got a tremendous response, receiving thousands of calls. But nothing much happened to the complaints of people.
While the government has stopped conducting briefings about the helpline and the results it has generated, officials say only a few sting operations have been carried out successfully, and three or four officials posted at the lower levels have been caught as a result.
Parents don't seem to be happy with the Delhi government's nursery admission helpline.
While the helpline has been flooded with over 18,000 calls in just 14 days since its launch, parents claimed they have not been getting satisfactory responses.
"I tried for hours to get connected and after I did, the person who took my call only read out the nursery admission guidelines to me. I wanted to know what will be the criteria for sibling points for my twins but the person at the other end had no idea," Raman Chawla, a resident of Pitampura, said.
Parents also said their complaints are not getting resolved as schools are flouting rules.
"Many schools are setting up an upper age limit, which is against the guidelines, and I wanted to register a complaint. After many attempts I was finally able to do so, but so far no action has been taken," said Narendra Gupta.
The helpline, launched on January 13 by the Delhi CM, has registered 1,325 complaints till January 26.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2546942/Kejriwals-government-fails-30-day-test-A-month-Delhis-CM-took-oath-corruption-free-Capital-far-away-ever.html#ixzz2rpMdqVx6
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PUBLISHED: 22:17 GMT, 27 January 2014 | UPDATED: 22:17 GMT, 27 January 2014
A month ago was last year. For the Aam Aadmi Party and the people of Delhi it could as well be the last century, so stark is the contrast between its promises and delivery.
Over a lakh people gathered at New Delhi's Ramlila Ground on December 28, 2013 to see Arvind Kejriwal take the oath of office and become the Chief Minister of Delhi. Young AAP legislators became Cabinet members. Kejriwal sang a song. Hope floated, within reach it seemed.
One month of AAP rule, and things haven't changed as much as the new party vowed they would. Gimmickry has overshadowed governance: despite the chief minister's announcements, lakhs of people remain unsure if they'll get 700 litres of water free every day or if their power bills will be halved.
In any case, the old subsidy trick is what did it, and not the promised crackdown on the city's power companies or water utility. And there's already Vinod Kumar Binny, the rebel legislator who's hit the ground running against the man he called leader a few days ago.
Binny's allegations and the BJP's relentless opposition have hit home; Delhi residents are waiting for the latest power and water bills before they thank Kejriwal. The chief minister seems to be unaffected by criticism, be it from the Opposition, the man in the street, or even the President of India.
Indeed, Kejriwal on Monday said that his government is superior to others so far as work accomplished in one month is concerned.
"No other government has managed to get as much work done as ours," Kejriwal said at the Delhi Secretariat on Monday morning.
IT'S ONLY WORDS
It's in keeping with what he said while taking oath on December 28.
"Everybody is the chief minister," Kejriwal had said, for a "Janlokpal Bill would be passed in the Ramlila Ground very soon".
Apart from water and power, the AAP government has not delivered on any front. Addressing public grievances was hailed as one of the top priorities of the Delhi government. Kejriwal announced a Janta Darbar, to be held by the government outside the secretariat every day to directly address the complaints of common people. The first Janta Darbar held January 11 devolved into complete chaos within minutes of starting, and Kejriwal had to abandon his plan.
He then announced that he would meet people once a week and that complaints could be made online. On the Janlokpal Bill, Kejriwal has been assuring the Capital that it would be passed very soon. It's not in sight yet.
On Monday, a government spokesperson claimed that the Bill is likely to be approved by the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday as its draft has almost been finalised by a panel headed by chief secretary.
A source said the government is taking all steps to meet its first week of February deadline to pass the anti-corruption Bill during a special session of the Delhi Assembly at Ramlila Ground. Even on this issue, a face-off between the government and police seems likely. The police have said that the bill can't be passed in Ramlila Ground due to law and order problems.
Asked about the Delhi Police's reported objections on holding an Assembly Session at Ramlila Ground, the government spokesperson spoke of one-step-at-a-time policy, and said that the government would address the matter once it is ready with the draft and approval from the Cabinet.
The Janta Darbar in front of the Delhi
secretariat ended in chaos and the
AAP government had to drop its plan
of hosting it on a regular basis
For about half the city population, who live in unauthorised and resettlement colonies like Okhla and Sangam Vihar, the freebie holds no importance as they don't have even pipelines to get water at their homes.
Riding on the anti-corruption wave, Kejriwal had promised corruption-free governance and action against corrupt officials through helplines and sting operations. The helpline was launched and got a tremendous response, receiving thousands of calls. But nothing much happened to the complaints of people.
While the government has stopped conducting briefings about the helpline and the results it has generated, officials say only a few sting operations have been carried out successfully, and three or four officials posted at the lower levels have been caught as a result.
Parents decry nursery helpline
By Heena Kausar in New DelhiParents don't seem to be happy with the Delhi government's nursery admission helpline.
While the helpline has been flooded with over 18,000 calls in just 14 days since its launch, parents claimed they have not been getting satisfactory responses.
Delhi government's nursery admission
helpline has been flooded with over
18,000 calls in just 14 days
"I tried for hours to get connected and after I did, the person who took my call only read out the nursery admission guidelines to me. I wanted to know what will be the criteria for sibling points for my twins but the person at the other end had no idea," Raman Chawla, a resident of Pitampura, said.
Parents also said their complaints are not getting resolved as schools are flouting rules.
"Many schools are setting up an upper age limit, which is against the guidelines, and I wanted to register a complaint. After many attempts I was finally able to do so, but so far no action has been taken," said Narendra Gupta.
The helpline, launched on January 13 by the Delhi CM, has registered 1,325 complaints till January 26.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2546942/Kejriwals-government-fails-30-day-test-A-month-Delhis-CM-took-oath-corruption-free-Capital-far-away-ever.html#ixzz2rpMdqVx6
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