The Hindu : New Delhi News : Govt. committed towards making Delhi a world class city: L-G

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Govt. committed towards making Delhi a world class city: L-G

By Our Staff Reporter

Delhi Lt.-Governor B.L. Joshi's inaugural address of the Budget Session of Assembly being interrupted by BJP MLAs demanding resignation of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit following the Sales Tax department bribery scandal, on Tuesday. Photo: V. Suder shan

NEW DELHI, MARCH 15. The Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi, B.L. Joshi, today said the Delhi Government was committed to making Delhi a world class city and in this direction major steps have been initiated in the fields of power, water, transport and environmental safeguards in particular.

In his customary address on the opening day of the Budget Session in the Delhi Legislative Assembly, Mr Joshi said while the Government has in the past few years provided an able and efficient administration by working on the principles of transparency, accountability, responsibility and compassion, it has also launched schemes for greater public participation in various projects.

Claiming that Bhagidari programme has been a great success, he said information technology has also been used for promoting e-governance to promote transparency in operations. Now, he said, the focus is on power, water and transport.

For augmenting the water supply, he said, the Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant which has a capacity of 140 million gallons per day is due to become operational soon and water was being awaited from the Tehri reservoirs of Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal. This would supply would greatly benefit the resident of East Delhi and South Delhi, he said, adding that water would reach two parts of South Delhi in December this year.

In the field of power, he said, with the peak demand expected to be around 3,600 megawatts in the coming summer, talks are being held with neighbouring power surplus States for ensuring a better power supply. Also, he said, the conversion of the Indraprastha Thermal Power Plant into a gas run plant is being considered for augmenting the production ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

For meeting the transportation needs of the Capital, he said, the Government is planning to contribute financially in the creation of an eastern and a western expressway so that vehicles not bound for Delhi could bypass it easily thereby leading to vehicular decongestion in the Capital.

The Lieutenant Governor said the Delhi Government has also identified 130 kilometres of roads on which high quality surfaces will be laid. On these roads, he said, construction of flyovers, bridges and by-passes is currently underway.

For improving education, he said new schools are being constructed and use of internet and computers is being promoted. At the higher level, new universities are being constructed in East and South West Delhi and fibre technology and biotechnology course are being launched in the engineering colleges.

The Delhi Government has also made plans to increase the bed capacity by 1,700 in its hospitals and to introduce 78 new mobile dispensaries for catering to the needs of the jhuggi jhopri clusters and resettlement colonies.

Announcing that VAT would be implemented from April 1 this year, Mr Joshi said through further promotion to the Delhi Metro project and taking up of programmes for ensuring a more liveable and hygienic life for the citizens, the Delhi Government would strive to realise its dream of making Delhi a truly world class city.

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