Delhi CM and council of ministers likely to take oath on Thursday

Yamuna cleanup, air quality boost may top Day 1 agenda

The first meeting of Delhi’s council of ministers is expected to approve key initiatives, including cleaning and beautifying the Yamuna river, expediting stalled infrastructure projects, enhancing forest cover and air quality, approving a ₹2,500 monthly allowance for women, and implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

 

According to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sources, Delhi’s next chief minister, along with the council of ministers, would likely take oath at the iconic Ramlila Maidan on Thursday evening. The BJP returned to power in Delhi after more than 26 years by securing 48 seats in the 70-member legislative Assembly.

 

The government is also looking to rejuvenate the National Capital Region (NCR) Planning Board, which includes chief ministers of Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, and the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Delhi. The board is chaired by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs minister, currently held by former Haryana CM Manohar Lal.

 

 

On February 8, addressing a victory rally at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters here, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted that all the state governments in NCR were run by his party, which will help boost infrastructure and mobility in the region.

 

In a related development, the Supreme Court on Monday appointed the Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, to prepare an action plan to enhance the national capital’s green cover and gave it a month to file an affidavit setting out timelines and the requirement of funds. The plan will include a massive tree plantation drive.

 

“We grant time of one month to FRI to file a compliance affidavit. The affidavit shall be submitted to the amicus curiae in the case,” said a Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan said.

 

The Supreme Court had earlier directed the Delhi government and the civic agencies to convene a meeting and discuss comprehensive measures on the issue while observing that people were feeling the heat due to the loss of a green cover.

 

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance will have a meeting earlier in the day on February 20. All NDA chief ministers and their deputies have been invited to attend the meeting. They will also attend the oath-taking ceremony.

 

The name of the next Delhi CM is likely to be announced at the BJP legislative party meeting, now scheduled for Wednesday.

 

On Sunday, Delhi L-G V K Saxena unveiled a “four-pronged strategy” to clean the Yamuna river within the city limits in three years. Trash skimmers, weed harvesters, and dredge utility craft started cleaning operations in the river on Sunday, the L-G office said.