Arvind Kejriwal meets PM Narendra Modi, invites him for swearing-in ceremony

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief minister-designate Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday met PM Narendra Modi and invited him for the swearing-in ceremony at the Ramlila Maidan on February 14.

Arvind Kejriwal was accompanied by Manish Sisodia for his meeting with the Prime Minister.

In an audio message released on Thursday morning, Arvind Kerjiwal also invited Delhiites to come to Ramlila Maidan and attend his oath-taking ceremony.

Kejriwal and his close aide Manish Sisodia had raised the issue of full statehood for Delhi at their first meeting with Union home minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday.

Kejriwal had also met President Pranab Mukherjee and Union urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday.
Sources said the party has already started working on its vision for Delhi though it would officially take charge only after the swearing-in on Saturday. At a meeting with the chief secretary, DM Spolia, Kejriwal asked him to get all departments to make presentations on the status of projects, schemes and policies on February 19.Sisodia, Patparganj MLA and a former minister, told TOI that the CS has also been asked to present an action plan to prevent any kind of shortage of power, water and vegetables during the summer months. “There is usually a crisis over power, water and vegetables during summer. We have asked the CS to ensure that adequate arrangements are in place,” he said.

After the swearing-in on Saturday, the government will be seen on course to deliver the promises made in the party manifesto. A citizen’s charter, an anti-corruption regime under Jan Lokpal and conversion of the MLA funds to Citizens Local Area Development Funds are likely to be on the priority list.

The AAP government is expected to give relief to Delhiites on power and water bills. Last time, a subsidy of 50% per unit was given to power consumers in the 0-400 units bracket and 20 kilolitres of water per month was supplied for free.

With the CM making fighting corruption his government’s top priority, the city can hope for a fresh mechanism to bridge the gap between the citizen and bureaucrats. A comprehensive ‘Citizen’s Charter’ is likely to be prepared. It will lay down the timelines for delivery of services and also action. It will make officials accountable real time and also ensure that people keen to make a complaint are able to approach the government and get redressal. The charter is expected to be part of the government’s Jan Lokpal Bill which they were unable to pass last time. Anti-Corruption Branch will also get more teeth under the law.

The government is also planning to deliver on its promise of shifting from the MLALADS regime to a people-centric regime of expenditure of development funds for area-specific works. The MLALADS, seen as a discretionary fund for emergency and small but critical works in the constituency, will be replaced by Citizen Local Area Funds which will be spent in consultation with the public. It is learnt that the MLALADS funds allocated to AAP MLAs last year were spent in keeping with the development model that AAP proposes to introduce under the Swaraj law for creating mohalla sabhas.