From underprivileged to middle class earners, from oldest citizens to youngest fledglings, AAP reforms aim at helping every individual onto a progress path.
In its four years, Aam Aadmi Party government has galvanized the citizens of the capital with one reform after the other. Envisioning a welfarist society which facilitates all with the modern tools of prosperity, the AAP vision touches base across the class strata of the capital.
Envisioning a welfarist society which facilitates all, AAP’s reforms touch base across the class strata of the capital.
Here are 10 reforms in the Arvind Kejriwal AAP Government’s tenure that touched base, became reality and benefited the residents of Delhi.
AAP Educational reforms
Education sector is arguably the biggest achievement of the AAP government. Multitudes of programmes for students accompanied with plethora of development projects to amp up public school facilities. Programmes like Chunauti impacted 9.5 lakh students from grades 6 to 9.
Their initiatives reached from kindergarten (Reading Campaign and Pragati series Supplementary learning material) to high school and beyond with initiatives like the Entrepreneurship curriculum. Delhi government’s biggest exploits are enumerated in a report “Quality Education for All”.
The revival of government schools and public education system of Delhi is the single biggest achievement of the AAP government.
Quality Health for all
AAP’s health scheme “Quality Health for all” is another major reform, which matches inch for inch with PM Modi’s “Ayushman Bharat”. With this scheme, Arvind Kejriwal led government has introduced the seamless arrangement between the Delhi government and the private hospitals in the city.
This arrangement includes the facility of high-end diagnostics which cannot be performed at the government hospitals that too at a minimal cost. Also, if the government hospitals are not able to provide the date of surgery within a month, the patient can go to these 44 private hospitals for the surgery and the government will bear the cost.
Government hospitals and Mohalla clinics
AAP government has decided to re-model around 16 hospitals, with a plan to add around 7,000 rooms in these hospitals. In the last 4 years, the number of beds has increased from 48,096 to 57,194 in government hospitals. AAP has allotted 13.28% of the total budget in 2017-18, the number was just 9.85% in 2007-08.
With the aim to reduce footfalls in government hospitals, Delhi Government introduced the neighbourhood clinics, known as the Mohalla clinics. There are 109 basic medicines and 212 diagnostic tests available at 158 Mohalla clinics across the capital city.
AAP government has decided to re-model around 16 hospitals, with a plan to add around 7,000 rooms in these hospitals.
Reforms for the Sewer Cleaners
In February 2019, Delhi’s CM Arvind Kejriwal flagged off a fleet of 200 sewer cleaning machines, to facilitate the process and safety and dignity of cleaners. To further increase the safety of these workers, the government is now providing free of cost safety kits to the workers who are involved in clearing the blockage and repairing.
Those who have less in life, should have more in law.
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) March 20, 2019
By putting an end to manual scavenging in Delhi, @ArvindKejriwal‘s Delhi Govt is ensuring a safe and dignified life for all sewer cleaners. #DelhiModel pic.twitter.com/sVRzELq93s
Also, the government has claimed that DJP has covered 80% with sewer lines, and the rest will be cleared within the next 2-3 years after getting the required permissions.
In February 2019, CM Arvind Kejriwal flagged off a fleet of 200 sewer cleaning machines to facilitate safer and more dignified job environment for Delhi’s cleaners.
Fight against air pollution
Government of Delhi sparked a huge debate when they implemented the controversial Odd-Even rule in order to fight air pollution. It was then scrapped after trial of 1 month after a huge criticism. The government also fought the centre’s order to cut down almost 17000 trees in Delhi for the redevelopment of residential colonies in South Delhi.
Also, in their recent report to the Supreme Court, the government has explained their plans on fighting the air pollution by developing the public transport infrastructure which includes DTC buses, Metros, taxis, auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws.
Doorstep Delivery of Public Services
AAP’s policy initiative enabled citizens of Delhi to avail government services at their doorstep through a call. The scheme envisions helping citizens of Delhi to save time by not having to stand in lengthy queues.
Doorstep Delivery of Services,
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) September 10, 2018
Status on Day 1:
Total calls attempted but couldn’t connect due to heavy traffic: 21000 (All unique no. captured, would be called back)
Calls connected: 2728
Calls answered: 1286 (Being called back)
Appointments fixed: 369
Documents collected: 7 pic.twitter.com/1jNBQLLtZX
This also checked unwanted indulgence in petty corruption for get official work done. The scheme includes over 70 services in total and has garnered an overwhelming response from the city.
Free water and cheap electricity
AAP government promised was that they will give free water and electricity at much cheaper rates. And the very first thing they did after forming the government was to fulfil these promises.
Delhi citizens are enjoying 20,000 litres water per month for free. And for the electricity, the AAP government is giving a subsidy of 50% up to 2Kw load.
Safer travel for Women
To make women feel more secure in DTC buses, the AAP government ordered to appoint guards and marshals along with installing CCTV cameras. It has even gone as far as proposing free rides in safer transport options like DTC buses and DMRC metros to encourage more of the poorer women to avail secure environments when moving around the city.
The government has deployed over 2,100 marshals, which includes civil defence marshals, home-guards and DTC marshals. This great initiative is not limited to women safety and has increased the overall security for travellers in DTC buses. For the free rides, it has proposed setting around upto Rs. 1300 crores. Such visions go a long way in normalizing the presence of the marginalized segment of community in city’ apex public spaces.
AAP’s visions go a long way in normalizing the presence of the marginalized segment of community in city’ apex public spaces.
For Martyr families
AAP government, in an attempt to make sure the families who lost their brave son fighting for the nation don’t have to face a financial crisis, is providing Rs. 1 crore as ex-gratia to the kin of martyrs and a government job to their families.
.@ArvindKejriwal‘s cabinet took two important decisions today:
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) July 24, 2018
👉 ₹1Cr ex-gratia compensation to family of Martyrs.
👉 Efforts to increase income of farmers in rural Delhi to be role out soon, Govt to pay for farmer’s land to install lifted solar panels.
Watch full PC👇 pic.twitter.com/Lu8XAjuVoC
Besides this, a compensation of Rs 50,000 per month will be given to the family of those who went missing during the wars. The scheme covers Delhi-based security personnel from all the three services of the armed forces, Delhi Police, paramilitary forces, fire service, Home Guards and the district disaster force personnel.
Mukhya Mantri Tirth Yatra Yojana
This time the Delhi government followed the footsteps of other state governments and introduced a free pilgrimage scheme for the senior citizens of Delhi. Pilgrims over 60 are eligible for this scheme, and people aged over 70 can take along an attendant with them whose expenditure will also be borne by the government.
मुख्यमंत्री तीर्थ यात्रा योजना के पहले जत्थे के शुभ प्रस्थान के मौके पर ट्रेन में श्रद्धालुओं से मिलते व अभिवादन स्वीकार करते मुख्यमंत्री @ArvindKejriwal व उप मुख्यमंत्री @msisodia#दिल्ली_का_श्रवण_कुमार pic.twitter.com/WOeUj8h6Wi
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) July 12, 2019
CM Arvind Kejriwal flagged off the first train on July 12, for the Delhi-Amritsar-Wagah Border-Anandpur Sahib-Delhi pilgrimage. In this scheme, the government will pay for the travel, stay and food for the pilgrims.
By: Ishant Chaudhary, Staff Writer, Dkoding Media
