Page 24 - Aap Government

AAP questions BJP's 'silence' on tree felling in Ridge area

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday questioned the BJP's silence over the "illegal" felling of trees in the ridge area, and said the party's stand on Delhi's pollution is just "politics". Addressing a press conference, AAP senior leader Jasmine Shah said that since the issue has surfaced, the BJP and Lt Governor VK Saxena have maintained "silence" over it. "BJP is the first to do politics over the issue of pollution and shed crocodile tears over it. They have stalled many works of the Delhi government over the pollution issue. Why are they silent?" he said. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is alleged to have cut 1,100 trees without due permission. The Supreme Court, hearing a case related to the matter, has directed the Delhi government and the civic agencies to discuss comprehensive measures to enhance the city's green cover. Shah also asked if officers of the DDA and the forest department were under pressure from their higher-ups over the matter. He claimed that the officials w

Delhi Govt to grow the city's green cover with plantation drive on July 11

Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said that two crore saplings were planted in the city in the last four years, against a target of five years set by the government. The tree plantation drive will be expanded with planting of 64 lakh more saplings of various species in the next one year, Rai said during a press conference here. The minister said the Delhi government and its various agencies will kick-start the initiative, which commences with the onset of the monsoon, from Narela on July 11. He emphasised the importance of residents' cooperation in supporting the Delhi government's efforts to increase the city's green cover and said that as part of this campaign, seven lakh saplings will be distributed among citizens free of cost. The first phase of the tree plantation campaign will cover 30 assembly constituencies and will run until August 9, Rai said. During this period, awareness will be raised among the public and free saplings will be distributed, he added. Rai

Delhi HC asks CBI to answer Kejriwal's plea against arrest in excise scam

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the CBI to respond to a plea by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest in a corruption case related to the excise policy 'scam'. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and asked it to file its reply within seven days. The high court said Kejriwal's counsel may file rejoinder, if any, within two days thereafter. It listed the matter for arguments on July 17. Besides his arrest, the AAP national convener has also challenged the trial court's June 26 and June 29 orders by which he was remanded to three-day CBI custody and judicial custody till July 12 respectively. Kejriwal, 55, was arrested by the CBI on June 26 from Tihar Jail, where he was in judicial custody in a connected money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Delhi govt 'weakening' DCW, showing hostility towards women, says Maliwal

Former DCW chief Swati Maliwal has written to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing his ministers of making the women's panel a "weak institution". Maliwal had resigned as the chairperson of the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) following her nomination to the Rajya Sabha by the Aam Aadmi Party. In her letter to the chief minister, Maliwal alleged that the DCW staff has not been paid salary for the last six months, the panel's budget has been reduced by 28.5 per cent, the 181 helpline has been withdrawn, and no efforts have been made to fill the vacant posts of chairman and two members. "Ever since I resigned from the post of chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women, the ministers and officers of Delhi government have opened a front against the commission. "None of the staff has been paid salary for the last six months, the budget has been reduced by 28.5 per cent, 181 helpline has been withdrawn and no work has been done to fill the posts of chairman and two members,"

Delhi Cabinet to begin drafting note for Rs 1,000 monthly aid for women

Delhi govt FY25 Budget aims to provide Rs 1,000 in monthly assistance for eligible women aged above 18. Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh have drafted similar schemes

BJP blames AAP for Delhi's waterlogging woes, AAP faults central govt

The BJP on Monday blamed the AAP government for waterlogging woes in Delhi after the rains last week and warned the situation could recur as around 300 drain pumps were still not functioning. The meteorological department has issued an "orange" alert for rains in Delhi for the next two days. Addressing a press conference, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleged the primary reason for the flooding on June 28 was the Arvind Kejriwal government's "failure" to operate water drainage pumps. "If it rains again, Delhi will flood again," he claimed and added that on June 28, out of Delhi's 696 permanent water drainage pumps, 400 were not working and "even now almost 300 are not operational". The ruling AAP in Delhi claimed in a statement that the maximum flooding occurred in areas of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) which is under the BJP-led central government. "The BJP is pointing fingers at the Delhi government to hide from the reality of the flooding in the homes of MPs, .

Find solutions to address drain overflow issue in central Delhi: Atishi

Delhi minister Atishi on Monday directed officials to find solutions for addressing the overflow of a drain, which runs through central Delhi, during heavy rainfall. The drain overflowed following a record-breaking rainfall of 228 mm on June 28, causing waterlogging in nearby areas. Atishi inspected the drain along with senior officials on Monday. "The water of central Delhi goes to Yamuna from drain No 12 near ITO. When Delhi received 228 mm of rainfall on June 28, the drain overflowed and caused waterlogging in the surrounding areas," the senior AAP leader said in a post in Hindi on X. "Today, I along with Mayor @OberoiShelly and senior officials, inspected this drain and gave instructions for finding short- and long-term solutions to stop the overflow," she added.

Agencies misleading SC, INDIA bloc to protest against it: Sanjay Singh

The Aam Aadmi Party has accused central investigative agencies of "misleading" the Supreme Court, and said opposition INDIA bloc will protest against it on the Parliament premises on Monday. Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that despite a trial court granting bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the excise policy case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought the High Court's intervention and secured a stay on the bail. And later when Kejriwal seemed set to receive bail from the Supreme Court, the central government got him arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), he claimed. This is a "blatant misuse of investigating agencies", he said, adding both ED and CBI lack evidence against Arvind Kejriwal and his former deputy Manish Sisodia. There was no immediate reaction from any of the investigative agencies. Singh said the INDIA bloc plans to protest against agencies in Parliament on Monday. "When Manish Sisod

SC to hear AAP MLA Jaswant Singh's plea against arrest in ED case on July 1

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear AAP MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra's plea challenging his arrest and remand by the Enforcement Directorate in a money-laundering probe linked to a bank fraud case on Monday. A vacation bench of Justice CT Ravikumar and Justice Manoj Misra is likely to hear the matter. The top court had earlier refused to grant interim bail to the Punjab MLA to campaign for the Lok Sabha polls. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had also dismissed a plea by the legislator challenging his arrest, observing that there was no illegality. In May 2023, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids on premises linked to Gajjan Majra in connection with an alleged Rs 40 crore bank fraud. In September 2022, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on several premises linked to him as part of a money-laundering probe in connection with the alleged bank loan fraud. The ED team had seized Rs 32 lakh in cash, some mobile phones and hard drives.

Atishi inspects Chandrawal plant, says water supply to be normal soon

Delhi Water Minister Atishi on Sunday instructed officials to repair the pump house at the Chandrawal Water Treatment Plant that was flooded due to heavy rains and ensure that such problems do not recur. In a post in Hindi on 'X' after inspecting the Chandrawal water treatment plant, she said that unexpected rains flooded the pumping house of the Chandrawal Water Treatment Plant, damaging the motors. "Due to this, (water) supply was disrupted in many parts of Central Delhi. Jal Board has worked quickly to resolve this problem and the plant has almost 80 per cent been repaired. Water the supply will be back to normal soon," Atishi said. "Inspected the plant today and ordered officials to repair the pump house as soon as possible, and with joint inspection ensure that this problem does not recur in any plant in the future," she said. The national capital was brought to its knees on Friday morning as 228.1 mm of rainfall on the first day of monsoon, the highest for the month of June .

Swati Maliwal assault case: Delhi HC to rule on Bibhav Kumar's plea Monday

The bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma after hearing the arguments at length, reserved the order on maintainability ground

AAP calls for protest at BJP headquarters, Delhi police says no permission

With AAP set to hold a protest at the BJP headquarters on Saturday, the Delhi Police said the party had not taken its permission to hold the demonstration. AAP called for a gherao of the BJP headquarters at 11.30 am against the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the liquor policy-linked money-laundering case. A senior police officer said arrangements were being made to stop the protesters as no permission had been taken for any protest at the BJP headquarters at DDU Marg in central Delhi. Barricades have been put up and paramilitary personnel deployed at the site, the officer said. If required, the protesters might be detained as Section 144 of the CrPC has already been imposed at DDU Marg, he added. The officer said the road had yet to be closed. AAP said Kejriwal, its national convenor, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a "false case".

Delhi rain chaos: Environment min blames plastic waste, slams state govt

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav attributed the waterlogging in Delhi following torrential rains on Friday morning to drains being clogged with plastic waste and criticised the Delhi government for its inaction despite multiple reminders. The Safdarjung Observatory, the city's primary weather station, recorded 228.1 mm of rainfall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 am on Friday, more than three times the June rainfall average of 74.1 mm and the highest for the month in at least 16 years. The season's first heavy spell of rain brought back familiar scenes of waterlogged roads, underpasses, vehicles stuck in water, and long traffic snarls, with many residents expressing frustration over the city's drainage infrastructure. "We banned single-use plastic and also asked the Delhi government to take action. We have asked the Delhi government's industries department several times to close down these (single-use plastic manufacturing) units," Yadav said at the India Climate Summit ...

Delhi govt to soon open liquor vends at IGI Airport for domestic flyers

The Delhi government is likely to soon open liquor vends at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport serving domestic flyers after nearly two years of obstruction due to scrapping of its excise policy 2021-22, official sources said on Tuesday. The excise policy 2021-22 was scrapped by the Kejriwal government after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in its formulation and implementation in 2022. After scrapping of the excise policy 2021-22, the retail liquor sale in the city was handed over to the four agencies of the Delhi government that was earlier handled by private licensees. Sources said the Delhi government's agency DCCWS (Delhi Consumers' Cooperative Wholesale Store Limited) is going to open its liquor shop at T3 terminal's arrival section by July. Another store is likely to come up at T1 terminal's departure area later, they said. The earlier attempts of the government agencies to open liquor vends at the domest

Trial court didn't consider material properly: HC on Kejriwal bail order

The vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, while passing the order, said that documents and arguments were not appreciated properly by the trial court properly

Money laundering case: AAP to move SC against stay on Kejriwal's bail order

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday said it disagrees with the Delhi High Court order staying the bail granted to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by the trial court and will challenge it in the Supreme Court. The Delhi High Court earlier in the day stayed the trial court order granting bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam in Delhi. A vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain said the trial court failed to appreciate the material placed before it by the Enforcement Directorate and did not apply its mind while deciding the AAP leader's bail plea. The judge also said the trial court ought to have given adequate opportunity to the agency to argue its case. Reacting to the development, the AAP said they will approach the apex court. "We disagree with the Delhi High Court order. We will challenge it in the Supreme Court," the party said. The trial court had granted bail to Kejriwal on June 20 and ordered his release on a personal

SC asks Delhi HC to rule on Satyendar Jain's bail plea in ED case on July 9

The Supreme Court asked the Delhi High Court on Tuesday to decide the bail plea of jailed former AAP minister Satyendar Jain in a money laundering case. A bench of Justices Manoj Misra and S V N Bhatti said bail matters should not be unnecessarily adjourned and asked the high court to decide Jain's plea on the next hearing date. Jain approached the top court against the six-week adjournment granted on his bail plea by the high court. He also contended that a similar issue was pending before the top court and therefore, his plea be tagged with it. On May 28, the high court sought the response of the Enforcement Directorate and asked it to file a status report on the matter. The court also called for the nominal roll of Jain from prison and listed the matter for further hearing on July 9. The ED arrested Jain on May 30, 2022, in the money laundering case based on a CBI FIR lodged against him in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was granted regular bail by a trial cou

Atishi's hunger strike over water crisis ends after hospitalisation: AAP

Delhi Water Minister Atishi ended her indefinite fast over the water scarcity in the national capital after she was hospitalised early Tuesday, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said. At a press conference here, Singh said Atishi's health deteriorated after being on fast for nearly five days. Her blood sugar level dropped to 36 mg/dL and she was admitted to the LNJP Hospital around 3.45 am, he added. The MP said doctors insisted on her hospitalisation and even warned that her life could be in peril. Atishi is now admitted to the ICU and tests are being conducted, so the indefinite hunger strike has been stopped, he said. The AAP MP said he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide Delhi with its rightful share of water from Haryana. The issue will also be raised by AAP and its political allies, he added. In the last three weeks, Delhi's share in the Yamuna was reduced by Haryana by 100 MGD. However, it has started increasing over the last two days and the shortfall is o

Atishi's health deteriorates due to hunger strike, admitted to hospital

Atishi's indefinite hunger strike entered its fifth day on Tuesday. She said that Haryana is not releasing Delhi's share of water

Delhi ministers seek urgent action on water crisis in letter to PM Modi

Delhi cabinet ministers have written a letter to Prime Narendra Modi and urged him to resolve the water crisis in the national capital on a priority basis, Environment minister Gopal Rai said on Monday. Addressing a press conference, Delhi cabinet ministers said Atishi's indefinite fast has entered the fourth day and her health is deteriorating. The ministers held a meeting at the hunger strike site in Jangpura's Bhogal, where they decided to write a letter to the prime minister seeking a solution to the issue. "We also invite Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena, all officers to Wazirabad, Bawana to see the readings of flow metres and see the water levels of the river there. Data is available for the water released by Haryana and they can see for themselves how the water has reduced," he said. Asserting that Delhi should get its due share of water, the minister announced that in the evening a candle light march will be carried out in support of Atishi's indefinite fast.