'Delhi must become country's economic hub': CM Rekha Gupta at maiden Republic Day event

New Delhi: In her maiden address at the Delhi state Republic Day function on Sunday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta asserted that the city needs to become the strongest economic hub of the country.

Addressing the function at Chhatrasal Stadium, she said the India-EU trade deal – which could be announced this week – could benefit Delhi by opening doors for the city's MSME sector to 4.5 million consumers in European Union countries.

The state Republic Day event is held on January 25 every year.

Gupta highlighted her government's work in the past 11 months in Delhi – in healthcare, education, infrastructure, ease of doing business, social welfare, transportation, and rural development, among others.

She said that under the 'Safe City Project', the Delhi government will install 10,000 advanced CCTV cameras across the city.

After the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat health scheme in Delhi, 6.5 lakh persons have been registered so far, and more than 30,000 people benefited from it, Gupta said.

The government has set up over 300 Ayushman Arogya health centres in the city, she said.

In the education sector, the government passed the Delhi Education Act to check arbitrary fee hikes by private schools to benefit lakhs of parents and students, the chief minister said.

Gupta said that her government is working to make Delhi a "capital of ideas" through initiatives its startup policy. The MoU signed by the government with the Reserve Bank of India will ensure that the city faces no funds crunch for developmental work, she said.

The government is paying special attention to rural pockets of the national capital and allocated Rs 1,700 crore for various development work, while it also allotted Rs 700 crore for better civic infrastructure in the slum clusters, Gupta said.

The government is also working in a planned way to address "legacy issues" like Yamuna cleaning, garbage dumps and pollution in the city, she said.

The government aims to strengthen the public transport fleet with 11,000 e-buses in the next three years and expand the metro rail network to 500 km from the existing 396 km, she said.

Gupta appealed to people to cooperate and participate in the Delhi government's initiatives to develop the city. She urged private establishments in the city to adopt solar power, rainwater harvesting and decentralised STPs.

The chief minister also urged people to use clean fuel-driven vehicles and use public transport to contribute to the government's efforts towards a "clean and green Delhi".