In a rebuff to BJP, Dikshit says Delhi a welfare state

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Sunday said that her government is the only government in the country to provide the maximum benefits and amenities to the poor and vulnerable sections of the society. 

In a rebuttal to the criticism of her government by her Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi, who said in a rally on Sunday that her job was only to cut ribbons, Dikshit said, ‘The conferment of ownership rights in 45 resettlement colonies benefitted 15 lakh poor persons whereas regularisation of around 900 colonies brought smiles on the faces of around 45 lakh persons from the poor and middle class families.’

Speaking at a well-attended rally at Jwalapuri in west Delhi, Dikshit said, ‘The poor residents of 20 point programme families have been given the desired relief. The extension of Lal Dora after a gap of more than 100 years and dilution of section 81 of the DLR made the villagers and poor delighted. The food security is going to provide food grains at highly subsidised rates to around 73 lakh poor and vulnerable persons of the society.’

Dikshit also slammed the Opposition (read Modi) for misleading people with false promise on reduction of power rates by 30 per cent to gain political harvest. ‘They can fulfil their assurance by effecting 10 hours of power cut which will reduce your bills by 30 per cent.  The government is providing round- the-clock power supply and the opposition is going to give 12 hour supply,’ she said. 

Dikshit further stated that her government is providing monthly pension of up to Rs 1,500 to the widows, aged and physically challenged persons, which is highest in the country. 

Speaking on the occasion, development minister Rajkumar Chauhan said that Dikshit government has been taking suitable steps at the time of any seasonal inflation in the capital by opening thousands of stalls to sell onions, potatoes and wheat flour among others. MLA Dr Bijender Singh criticised Gujarat CM for spreading hatred in the country.  ‘His balloon would burst before the elections,’ said Singh.