New Delhi: After a gap of 26 years, BJP formed the government in Delhi and the new cabinet, led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, took charge of various crucial departments. With several promises made during the elections, the ministers face significant challenges in addressing Delhi’s key issues, from cleaning the Yamuna to managing the city’s finances and improving public services.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta kept several important portfolios, including finance, general administration, services, revenue, women and child welfare, vigilance and administrative reforms. Among these, the finance department stands out as the most critical. Rekha Gupta will present the first budget of her government, but the task won’t be easy.
In previous years, Delhi’s budget was surplus, but the current financial condition is grim, with the accounts now in deficit. BJP government will need substantial funds to fulfill the promises made during the elections, including financial aid schemes like subsidies and Rs 2,500 per month for women. Balancing developmental projects with welfare schemes will be a challenging task for the Chief Minister.
Yamuna cleaning
Parvesh Verma, who defeated former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from New Delhi constituency, has been assigned the water department, including the Delhi Jal Board. His primary responsibility will be cleaning Yamuna River.
In addition, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of drinking water across the city will be a key focus for him. The new cabinet has already emphasized making Yamuna pollution-free.
Combating pollution
Manjinder Singh Sirsa, new Environment Minister of Delhi, faces the enormous responsibility of tackling Delhi’s pollution crisis. In recent years, Delhi has faced severe air quality issues, particularly during the winter months when smog engulfs the city.
Supreme Court had criticized the previous government for its inability to curb pollution. Sirsa will now have to implement strict measures to reduce vehicular emissions, manage industrial waste and address stubble burning from neighbouring states.
Improving Delhi’s transport and healthcare systems
Pankaj Singh was given the dual responsibility of managing Delhi’s transport and health systems. As the new Transport Minister, his focus will be on improving the public transport network, which includes addressing the losses incurred by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and expediting work on Metro Phase-4.
In his role as Health Minister, Singh will aim to enhance healthcare facilities in the city. The cabinet already approved the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Yojana, which will provide health benefits to many Delhi residents.
Revamping Delhi’s education sector
Ashish Sood, new Education Minister, will work on improving the quality of school education and bringing reforms to the education system. With a strong foundation already in place, Sood’s challenge will be to take the system to the next level, ensuring accessibility and quality education for all students in Delhi.
In its first meeting, the cabinet approved two major decisions – the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Yojana and the tabling of 14 pending reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in the first assembly session.
