Delhi to be made city of dreams: Govt

Eyeing the assembly polls later this year, Delhi Government today promised to make the national capital a "city of dreams" by ratcheting up efforts to meet aspirations of all section of the citizens.
In his address at the assembly on the first day of budget session, Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna, while speaking about various initiatives of the government, resolved to regularise all unauthorised colonies and provide housing accomodation to slum dwellers in the city.
"The confidence in my government reposed by the citizens of Delhi has inspired the government to dream big. We are not inclined to accept that growth and development have to be based on small incremental steps," Khanna said in his half-an-hour-long speech.

Claiming that the city has witnessed "unprecedented" and "sweeping changes" in the last 15 years, he said the government has aimed at making Delhi an "efficient, productive and caring city" in the 12th Plan period (2012-2017).
"A whole generation that believes and takes for granted the metro, low-floor buses, 24-hour electricity supply and even the increased green cover as features of Delhi life does not realise that these were non-existent 12 years ago. The fact is that these are result of major initiatives taken by the government over the last 15 years," Khanna said.
On the issue of unauthorised colonies, he said all efforts are being made to remove the obstacles for regularisation of all the unauthorised colonies. The government in September last year had regularised 895 unauthorised colonies.

Nearly 50 lakh people are currently residing in 1,639 unauthorised colonies which constitute a major votebank.
On the economy, Khanna said the government will continue to aim at achieving fiscal consolidation by series of initiatives including improving efficiency in governance.
"Delhi continues to contribute a healthy 3.8 per cent to the GDP at the national level. The per capita income of Delhi in 2012-13 is about three times the national level. Compared to other metropolitan cities, the rate of inflation was the lowest due to constant monitoring and timely and effective intervention," he said.