Saved over Rs 350 cr on 5 flyovers: Kejriwal

“There were some under-construction flyovers in Delhi when we took over. We completed those projects before schedule and saved over Rs 350 crore. This was unprecedented. In our country, every government project is delayed by years. But we changed all of it,” said Kejriwal during his inaugural interactive session ‘Talk to AK’.

He said his government had also slashed the tax rates to reduce the burden on businessmen. “We saved hundreds of crore and as a result we slashed the tax rates. Another good thing that happened was that tax collection went up after we reduced the tax rates,” he added.

The Chief Minister said his government’s priority was on four sectors – education, health, electricity and water. “We have worked on various things but our main priority is on four sectors –education, health, electricity and water. We believe that spending on health and education is not an expenditure but an investment,” he said.

Launching a scathing attack at the Narendra Modi-led Centre, Kejriwal said:  “Don’t mess around with the youth and education” in order to avoid a “perilous” future.

“When our youth is educated, the government would not have to worry about development, the youth will themselves develop the country. Therefore, we doubled the budget on education by 100 per cent and health by 50 per cent,” Kejriwal noted.

He called for repealing the “no-detention policy” under which every student is promoted till Class 9. 

“Don’t mess around with the youth and education of this country. If this system continues, then the future may be in peril, unemployment will be widespread. The Centre has a no-detention policy in place till Class 8,” he said.

“But it is found that in Class 9 students suffer from depression and even commit suicide as they can’t read and write. This no-detention policy should end. This is ruining the country. I appeal to the Centre to clear the Bill we have passed in this regard,” he said. Kejriwal also spoke on compensation to farmers for land and crop damage.

Detailing AAP’s work in the power sector, which has seen it clashing with private discoms, Kejriwal said the city’s power rates were among the “lowest” in the country and the only challenge was the “extremely poor” distribution network.

“If a family in Delhi consumes 400 units, the cost would be Rs 1,370. The same would be over Rs 2,500 in Gujarat, Rs 4,300 in Mumbai, Rs 2,927 in Kolkata and Rs 2,690 in Punjab. One challenge remains and that is of extremely poor infrastructure,” he said.

“No work has been done in the last 10-15 years. We have started work on a war-footing mode and I have asked all our MLAs to find land to set up transformers,” he said.

Kejriwal added that the government would conduct an “opnion poll” and not a “referendum” on the issue of full statehood for the national Capital and bringing subjects such as police and land under the jurisdiction of the state government.

The Chief Minister, who had earlier spoken of referendum on the issue, said there was no provision for such a vote. “It’s a good idea. We are thinking about it and will surely do it. Few people call it referendum but there is no provision for it in the Constitution. It could be an opinion poll. We will ask the people of Delhi whether land and police should come under the elected government,” Kejriwal said.

On the odd-even road rationing measure, two phases of which have already been implemented, he said his government was considering enforcing it again in winters. 

The next such session would be held after a month or so, he said. “When you are in public life, you have to be ready for public scrutiny. At times, we feel that the media’s questions and people’s questions are different. There was a need for a platform to take questions directly,” he said.