Sher

ADDRESS

OF

SHRI TEJENDRA KHANNA

HON'BLE LT. GOVERNOR, DELHI

TO

The Fourth Delhi Legislative Assembly

(Budget Session)

15th March, 2010

            Respected Speaker and Hon'ble Members of the Legislature,

  I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the Budget Session of the Legislative Assembly of Delhi for the year 2010-11.
  This year we have the honour to host one of the biggest sporting extravaganzas of the world in the month of October. Government has braced itself to make all necessary arrangements to make the Games a spectacular event. Many agencies are involved in the preparation of the Games and administrative mechanism has been put in place to ensure effective co-ordination. The host city Delhi is doing its best not only to put up a good sporting infrastructure in place but also to avail this opportunity to dramatically upgrade its civic infrastructure to make its mark as a world class city.
  A basic requirement of the Games is to provide sporting infrastructure with the latest international technology and facilities. Government of Delhi has been entrusted with the responsibility to construct/ upgrade 4 stadia. Two out of the four stadia namely Talkatora & Ludlow Castle are complete and the remaining two namely Chhattarshal Stadium and Shivaji Stadium are nearing completion. Thyagraja Sporting Complex, which will be the venue for Netball, is the first stadium in India to have all green building features.
  The games would require a well coordinated mass transport system in order to cope with the influx of a large number of tourists and transportation of the athletes from the Games Village to the sporting venues. The road transport sector assumes a crucial role during this period and has therefore been accorded high priority.
  All major roads are being upgraded, widened, strengthened and parking facilities are being built at strategic locations. Strengthening of 172 km of lane length is being carried out by conventional technology, resurfacing of 453 and 170 km of lane length is being done by using recycling technology and plastic waste respectively. About 410 km of lane length is being resurfaced using the latest international micro-surfacing technology. These measures will help in the improvement of ridership quality.
  Government of Delhi has initiated the construction of 24 flyovers/bridges and 18 ROB/RUBs. Seven flyovers/bridges have already been completed and opened to traffic. Others are at different stages of completion. Three multi level parking lots are being constructed in the NDMC area on Public Private Partnership basis at KBS Marg, K.G. Marg and Sarojini Nagar which will significantly reduce the parking problem.
  The Delhi Metro is nearing completion of its 2nd phase. This will add another 125 Kms to the existing Metro network. All metro routes under construction will be completed before the commencement of the Games. Metro is expected to attract a high percentage of commuter traffic during the games, easing the burden off the road transport sector.
  The introduction of low floor buses has ushered a new era of public comfort in transportation. A total number of 1550 low floor buses have started plying on the city roads attracting new commuters to adopt this mode of transportation. Additional numbers of 2235 low floor buses are expected to arrive in the city before the Games.
  Apart from these, implementation of a whole array of infrastructural development projects is underway. The street lighting system of the city has been overhauled. A total 410 km of road length of Street-light will be upgraded before the Games. A major portion has already been completed.
  Other civic amenities including Bus Queue shelters, road signages, toilets and public conveniences, foot over bridges are being constructed at a fast pace and I am confident that all the required infrastructure would be in place before the Games.
  Along with the increment and enhancement of hard infrastructure the aesthetic element of the city is being given equal attention. Major gardens, roundabouts and roadberms will be comprehensively improved with contemporary features & designs. Street-scaping of 48 km of roads around Commonwealth Games venues is being done. All three agencies involved with the infrastructural development have arranged about five million potted plants, which will be placed in the city to enhance the green cover.
  POWER
  The Games require foolproof uninterrupted power supply and arrangements have been afoot to not only meet the additional requirements during the Games but also to ensure long-term availability of power on a sustained basis. In order to increase the self-reliance in generation, various projects like 1500 MW (Nom.) Pragati-III Gas based Power Project at Bawana, 1500 MW Coal based Power Project in Distt. Jhajjar, Haryana, 108 MW Gas based plant at Rithala being built by NDPL are in progress and will be completed soon.
  Delhi is one of the few states where power sector reforms have been carried out with resounding success. The reforms in Delhi have sent a clear signal to the whole country and also to the private investors about the unflinching commitment of Delhi Government towards fundamental reforms. Despite the fact that the average per capita electricity consumption of citizens of Delhi has increased from 1259 units in 2001 to 1973 units in 2008-09 yet the Government has been able to meet this increased demand successfully.
  WATER
  Delhi's fast growing population (decadal growth rate of 47%) exerts substantial pressure on the available water supply and sewerage services. This government has striven to meet this need by increasing its water treatment capacity from 790 MGD to 826 MGD by commissioning the Nagloi Treatment Plant and Recycling Plants at Haiderpur, Bhagirathi & Wazirabad.
  Delhi Jal Board is investing in the construction of Renuka dam and parallel canal from Munak to Haiderpur in order to meet the city's water requirements. Based on the 80 MGD additional water expected to be received after the construction of the canal, new WTPs at Dwarka, Okhla and Bawana will be commissioned.
  To improve access of urban poor to piped water supply and to ensure equitable water supply, DJB has planned to construct 53 new UGRs (Underground reservoirs) to increase storage capacity. Of these, 28 UGRs have already been constructed. DJB has been able to provide piped water supply to over 40 lakh people in over 700 provisionally regularized colonies through these UGRs.
  INDUSTRIES
  Government has endeavored continuously to manage the balance between keeping up Delhi's status as a high-income industrialized city and preserving its environment. A new industrial policy has been declared envisioning the city as a global hub for clean, high technology and skilled industries.
  The Government has decided to create and maintain state of the art industrial infrastructure for the industrial areas/ estates of Narela, Bawana, Patparganj and Okhla Industrial Estate. Tow new SEZs are being developed in Bapraula. To facilitate the setting up of industrial enterprises in the shortest possible time, a Business Facilitation Council has been established in the industries department to assist entrepreneurs in obtaining clearances from various departments/agencies. Measures are being taken to improve the functioning of the industrial estates in Delhi. The new industrial area at Bhorgarh comprising 450 acres is in the final stage of development.
  TOURISM
  Delhi remains a major tourism destination. More than 40% of the tourists coming to India, visit this city. About 20 million tourists inclusive of domestic tourists travel to Delhi every year. The Commonwealth Games will launch the city into one of the most favoured destinations in the sub-continent.
  The Govt. of Delhi has taken various initiatives for the development of tourist infrastructure, conservation of monuments, and provision of facilities to the tourists by setting up international level tourist information centers. An upgraded website is being developed for tourism facilitation in view of the forthcoming Games.
  HEALTH
  The Commonwealth Games would require world class health facilities to be in place for the athletes and game family members. Keeping in mind this requirement, medical centres are being set up at all competition venues and tertiary hospitals are being equipped to provide the best of the medical help during the time of need. GB Pant Hospital is in the process of up-gradation and has also been designated as one of the definitive medical care centres for the up-coming CWG-2010 with round the clock centralized lab services for indoor/outdoor patients besides 66 additional private rooms along with a 12 bedded 24 hours Emergency.
  Apart from the above, eight dispensary buildings, two in Dwarka, One each in Janakpuri, Tikri Kalan, Kondli, Hiran Kudna, Bank Enclave (East Delhi) and Basti Vikas Kendra, Prem Nagar (West Zone) have been completed, 01 PUHC has been opened in Sangam Vihar in South District.
  The proposal for construction of 07 hospitals viz. Chattarpur, Jaunti, Ambedkar Nagar, Bamnoil, Madipur, Jwalapuri and Jhatikara Village are in the pipeline. Three (03) hospitals are proposed to be taken up on PPP mode at Burari, Hastsaal and Ambedkar Nagar.
  The Health and Family Welfare Department has also taken steps to augment its ambulance fleet to 150 along with an additional 20 first-aid responders (2 wheelers). A separate scheme on the lines of widows' pension scheme & old age scheme has been launched for providing financial support to the destitute women.
  Under the Delhi State Health Mission, MAMTA and ASHA schemes have been launched. 2260 ASHAs have been selected and deployed across the State. MAMATA Scheme will be further strengthened by increasing the scope of the scheme to cover more beneficiaries. Delhi Govt. is in the process of setting up Rogi Kalyan Samitis for community participation in the management of hospitals & dispensaries.
  EDUCATION
  Education holds the key to economic and social growth. My Government is committed to provide access to education to every child near his/her house and has been taking necessary steps for overhauling the educational infrastructure in NCT. The government has upgraded 34 middle schools to Secondary/Sr. Sec. School and another 25 Secondary Schools have been upgraded to Sr. Sec. Schools.
  Among the initiatives directly linked to human resource development, emphasis has been given to make learning joyful, interesting and meaningful so that children develop the desire to go to school. These initiative have led to a considerable increase in enrolment at all levels and a significant, decrease in the concurrent drop out rate. Enrolment has increased by over one lakh in the current year. Learning centers are being run through NGOs under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for children between 6 and 14 to bring non-school-going children into the fold of formal education. Students admitted in private school under freeship quota have been extended uniform subsidy of Rs. 500 per annum and provided with a set of text books & a geometry box.
  The educational sector has been a remarkable success story. The Board results of students attending government schools are at par with those of the best of public school of the city. In the last five years, the performance of the government schools has been unprecedented. The CBSE results for the standard X board exams show that the success rate has improved significantly from 48% in 2005 to 89.44% in 2009. Similarly, the success rate for class XII board exams has increased from 76.44% to 87.14% during the same period.
  TECHNICAL & HIGHER EDUCATION
  In order to augment facilities in the fields of technical and higher education a major stride has been taken by reconstituting Delhi College of Engineering as the Delhi Technological University. The growing economy demands a higher number of skilled workers in all sectors of econimy. The gap in the demand & supply of skilled labour is to be bridged by revamping the existing curriculum prevailing in the technical and higher education institutions. A programme titled "Technical Education Community Outreach Scheme (TECOS)" is functioning to upgrade the livelihood skills of under privileged people. The objective of the Scheme is to provide meaningful and qualitative formal training in consultation with faculty/Staff of the polytechnics and ITIs.
  Delhi Higher Education Aid Trust has been registered under the Chairmanship of Chief Minster/ Minister, Higher Education to release Scholarship for the economically weaker sections. Delhi Govt. has already released Rs.1 Crore as the contribution for the scholarship.
  ENVIRONMENT
  This government with it multidimensional approach is actively engaged in overall environmental assessment, monitoring, protection and spreading of awareness about environmental concerns among the people of Delhi.
  As per latest Forest Survey of India report 2009, Green cover of Delhi has increased to 300 sq km from 30 Sq. Km in 1998. This year Delhi has received the "Indira Priyadarshini Vriksha Mitra Award" from the Ministry of Environment & Forest, Government of India for increasing and maintaining green cover in Delhi.
  Delhi Government has banned the manufacturing of plastic bags of less than 40 microns in Delhi. Two waste-to-energy plants are in the execution stage and new initiatives are being taken on the Climate Change- front in line with Delhi's climate Change Agenda brought out by the Government for 2009-2012.
  GOOD GOVERNANCE
  The Government is making relentless efforts to make this government participatory, consensus- oriented, accountable, transparent, responsive effective, efficient, equitable and inclusive. Administrative reforms and use of information Technology are two main planks to achieve these goals.
  Delhi Government has taken steps to implement e-Governance with the aim of bringing transparency and improved efficiency in its working.
  During the year 2009, IT Department undertook several projects aimed at information Dissemination, capacity Building and for e-Governance initiatives.
  One such project is the Delhi Online (Jeevan Project). the aim of the project is to provide all the Government services under one roof to the citizens. So far more than 279 centers have been opened throughout Delhi and are already operational with provision for billing services of MTNL, BSES, NDPL, DJB, withdrawal of Provident Fund, Registration under Bed & Breakfast scheme, receipt of application for chemist license, receipt of application for new IGL connection, payment of IGL bills.
  My Government has taken fresh initiatives towards making the judicial system proactive. It has initiated an innovative measure by introducing the Alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanism. The Primary objective of the ADR is to avoid costly litigation and to promote the concept of 'Access to Justice For All'. Under this system, disputes are settled with the assistance of an independent third party, using alternative methods. It helps parties resolve their disputes amicably, economically and quickly. This way ADR resolves disputes and helps the parties to harmonize their relations and is a most effective tool of social reform. To this end a Society has been established under the aegis of the Law department, the DELHI DISPUTE RESOLUTION SOCIETY.
  SOCIAL SECURITY
  The Government has striven to make policies, which underscores the role of a welfare state in providing entitlements to the vulnerable people of the Delhi. The Government is making enormous and relentless efforts to make social upliftment of the vulnerable population by improving the delivery mechanism of its social sector program with the application of the principles of value, equity, relevance and change.
  An innovative project named "Samajik Suvidha Sangam" has been initiated to provide support to the poorest of the poor. It is essentially a scheme to bring the vulnerable population living in the fringe areas of slums, unauthorized colonies, those working in unorganized sectors and socially vulnerable groups like the widows, women headed households, child headed households, etc into the main stream. The project has been ushered with a new set of reforms by simplifying the procedures for identification of the vulnerable persons who are in need of Government welfare programmes. An extensive network of 100 community based organization (NGOs) have been empowered and made equal partner with the government ot achieve this end. These organization have set up Gender Resource Centre Suvidha Kendras(GRC-Sks) closer to the vulnerable poor, which provide single window interface for the community to access various government schemes and provisions. The GRC-SKs are the main interface between the community and the Government and manage the bulk of the transaction in the form of awareness, enrolment, verification and grievance redressal etc.
  Government of Delhi has been implementing the LADLI Scheme for improvement in female literacy, institutional birth and also in improving the sex ratio in Delhi. The LADLI Scheme has made the direct impact in improving the sex ratio in favour of girls. In the year 2008, registration of birth of girls improved to 1004 in comparison to 1000 birth of boys. In the days to come the LADLI Scheme is expected to continue this trend and improve the sex ratio further in favour of girls. It is hoped that the LADLI scheme will bring about a significant increase in female literacy and registering higher institutional births for safe delivery of child.
  The recent global phenomenon of price rise affecting essential commodities has been a grave concern specially for the marginalized population Delhi being mainly a trading city has a limited set of options to ensure the availability of essential commodities as it has to rely on other states for their supply. However, as a responsive Government we have initiated multi pronged measures including regulatory controls, enforcement action against hoarders and market interventions to check the prices. Recently the Control Orders in respect of Sugar, Edible Oil, Pulses and FGL (Rice) have been amended to fix stock limits of dealers, to avoid the hoarding of Essential Commodities.
  The Open Market Sale Scheme of distribution of Whole Wheat Fortified Atta at reasonable rates at 328 Outlets has been introduced. This scheme is open to every citizen of the city irrespective of the fact whether he is a ration card holding or a non card holding citizen. So far, 60000MT of flour has been made available to the people at reduced rates. Due to increase in the wholesale prices of pulses, the Food & Supply Department has been undertaking retail sale of pulses at reasonable rates from 386 counters in Delhi and already 1750 MT of pulses have been made available to people at reduced rates. This has had a good impact and prices are showing a downward trend.
  The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana a Centrally Sponsored Scheme has been launched in the NCT of Delhi to provide health insurance facilities to the families living below Poverty Line. The beneficiaries under the scheme shall be eligible for in-patient Health Care Insurance benefits up to Rs. 30,000/(Rs. Thirty Thousand Only) per family (Unit of five) per annum. More than 12 lac beneficiaries have been brought under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana.
  A major initiative has been taken by Delhi Prisons in setting up of vocational training institute under the Skill Development Initiative Scheme of Ministry of Labour, Govt. of India. Prison inmates are trained in employable skills, so as to facilitate their post-release rehabilitation in society. On release of the inmate the Prison Administration will take this initiative a step forward and facilitate his placement with industry. Apart from this a lump sum of Rs. 10,000/- is also given to a released inmate who has undergone five or more years of imprisonment to start a new venture.
  CONCLUSION
  The development process in Delhi is proceeding in the right direction and at the right pace keeping in mind the forthcoming Commonwealth Games and beyond. People's participation has provided a powerful dimension in achieving this mission. Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus on what is in the best interest of the whole community. It also requires a broad and long term perspective on what is needed for sustainable human development and how to achieve the goals of such development. This can only result from an understanding of the historical, cultural and social contexts of a given society or community.
  A society's well being depends on ensuring that all its members feel that they have a stake in it and do not feel excluded from the mainstream of society. This requires that all groups including the most vulnerable have opportunities to improve or maintain their well being and Delhi Government is taking all steps needed for ensuring the same.
  Delhi being both, a city-state and the National Capital attends to people from all parts of the country. Our Government seeks to fulfill their aspirations, through sincere responsive efforts.
  Hon'ble Speaker and Member of the august House, I have presented before you, in brief, the highlights of some of the activities undertaken by my Government during the last one year and the challenges ahead. The Finance Minister will spell out further details in his Budget speech.
  On this important occasion, I wish to reiterate that my Government is committed not only to the maintenance of peace & social harmony, but to maintaining better fiscal discipline and providing a citizen centric governance. I am confident that you will all extend your full cooperation & support to these endeavours & to the cause of prosperity and all-round inclusive development of the state.
  I am also confident that we will collectively succeed in staging the most memorable and spectacular games in the history of the Commonwealth Games.
  I extend my warm greetings and good wishes to all of you and wish you all success in your deliberations.
Jai Hind !!!
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