Page 63 - Aap Government

Will inspect landfill sites in next 3 months: Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi

Delhi's newly elected Mayor Shelly Oberoi on Wednesday said the the AAP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi will carry out inspection of landfill sites in the next three months. Minutes after taking charge, she told the House, "We have to work together to fulfil the aspirations of people". Oberoi defeated BJP candidate Rekha Gupta by 34 votes to emerge victorious in the mayoral polls that took place on Wednesday after much delay since the high-stakes civic polls and after three previous failed attempts to hold the election to the top post. Later, addressing media in her office, she fielded a few questions before moving back to the House to chair the conduct of the election for the deputy mayor of Delhi. "The 10 guarantees that CM Arvind Kejriwal has given to people, and the dreams that he has foreseen for Delhi, we will work on them," the AAP leader said, when asked what will be her priorities as a mayor. Asked if the election for the six members of the Standing Committee of the MC

Fourth attempt to elect Delhi's new mayor today: Here is the story so far

Delhi has been on tenterhooks for the last two months as the BJP, and the AAP have been fighting to get their respective candidates to sit on the top post in the civic body

Delhi govt to plant 5.2 mn trees and shrubs in mega drive beginning Feb 26

The Delhi government will plant 52 lakh trees and shrubs in the city during its mega plantation drive beginning February 26. The city government usually starts the drive in the monsoon, but the large number of trees demanded an early start, Environment Minister Gopal Rai said at a press conference here. He also asked all agencies concerned to get a third-party audit of the tree plantation done in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The minister said the AAP government will also set up a panel to conduct site suitability analysis before taking up the plantation exercise to improve survival rate of the saplings. Rai said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will launch the plantation drive from a location near Shastri Park. "A total of 52 lakh trees, including 25 lakh shrubs, will be planted in Delhi this year. The Delhi forest department will plant 12 trees and 6 lakh shrubs this year," he said, A total of 47 lakh trees and shrubs were planted last year as against the target of 42 lakh.

Delhi riots: SC refuses to interfere in AAP leader Tahir Hussain's case

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the framing of charges against former AAP leader Tahir Hussain under anti-money laundering law in connection with the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. A bench headed by Justice V Ramasubramanian said at the stage of framing of charges, a court cannot get into details, which is to be seen at a later stage. The case is at the stage of framing of charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Therefore we do not see reasons to interfere at this stage. It is made clear that the (trial) court will follow the law laid down by this court, said the bench also comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal. The top court was hearing the ex-councillor's appeal against the Delhi High Court order rejecting his petition which challenged the trial court order for framing charges against him under Sections 3 (offence of money laundering) and 4 (punishment for the offence of money laundering) of PMLA. Senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, representing t

Delhi L-G approves medical boards to deal with surrogacy-related issues

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has approved the formation of medical boards in all 11 districts of the city for dealing with matters related to the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, Raj Niwas officials said on Monday. The Act was notified by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on December 25, 2021. Section 4(iii) of the Act states that no surrogacy or surrogacy procedure shall be conducted, undertaken, performed or initiated without the intending couple possessing a certificate issued by the appropriate authority (district medical board) specifying the need for gestational surrogacy. "However, constitution of the district medical boards (DMBs) was kept pending by the Delhi government ever since the regulation was notified by the central government, which forced intending beneficiaries to approach court," an official said. The DMBs will be headed by the chief medical officer or chief civil surgeon or joint director of health services of the district serving as chairperso

Delhi Lt Governor trying to act against Vidhan Sabha committees: AAP

The AAP on Monday alleged that Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena is trying to "act" against Vidhan Sabha committees and has written to the chief secretary and the assembly seeking details on their functioning. Party national spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj told a press conference that the Petitions Committee of the Delhi assembly had recommended action against officials on three different issues. But the Lt Governor (LG), instead of taking action against them, decided to take action against the committees, he alleged. "The Delhi LG is trying to act against Vidhan Sabha committees. He has written to Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and the Delhi Vidhan Sabha questioning how the committees are functioning and whether they are going against the law," the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said. "He feels that they are interfering in the work of government officials. The LG has problems with the committees. This makes it clear that whatever the officials do to interfere in the functioning of the government is

AAP govt resorts to hunger strike in Srinagar amid anti-encroachment drive

The Aam Aadmi Party on Friday said it is on hunger strike here to demand a formal order from the Jammu and Kashmir administration to spare poor residents and shopkeepers from the ongoing anti-encroachment drive. "Our vice-president Nazir Ahmad Ittoo started the hunger strike last night but due to security reasons, we were not allowed to sit at the Press Colony. We had to shift to our office," AAP youth leader Mudasir Hassan said. "The hunger strike will continue till a formal order is issued by the administration," he added. Hassan said the administration was making statements day in and day out that poor people will not be affected by the demolition drive. "We are asking the administration to issue a formal order to this effect," he said, adding that the party was not against an anti-encroachment drive against rich and influential land grabbers.

Kejriwal approves studying jammer technology for deployment in Delhi jails

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has given his nod for the formation of a panel to study the best jammer technologies across the globe so that they can be deployed in Delhi jails to disable mobile signals, officials said on Wednesday. The committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of DG (Prisons) and comprises professors from IIT Madras professor and IISC Bangalore, as well as DRDO scientists, IB and SPG officers as members, they said. This committee will suggest the technology to Delhi government for implementation of jammer system, including 5G in jails, they added.

Adani-Hindenburg row: AAP holds protests in Srinagar, Jammu; demands probe

Police on Sunday prevented AAP workers from staging a protest outside the BJP office here over the Adani-Hindenburg row. Led by AAP's central Kashmir youth president Jibran Dar, party workers assembled in Jawahar Nagar area and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani. The protesters alleged that Modi was favouring Adani, but doing nothing for ordinary people. Before they could reach the BJP office in the area, the protesters were detained by police and whisked away to the local police station. Adani Group stocks have taken a beating after US-based activist short-seller Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share price manipulation, against it. The Adani Group has dismissed the allegations as lies. The AAP also staged a protest outside the BJP office in Jammu over the issue and demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into independent India's "biggest scam". AAP workers led

Delhi LG Saxena recalls files related to projects pending for months

Accusing the Delhi government led by Arvind Kejriwal, the Governor said that these files have been pending for years together due to "inaction" on part of the AAP Government

Admissions for EWS, children with disabilities begin in Delhi pvt schools

The registration process for admission of Economically Weaker Sections/Disadvantages Group (EWS/DG) and children with disabilities at the entry-level classes in Delhi's private schools began on Friday, Delhi government officials said. The last date to submit online applications is February 25 and the first computerised draw of lots will be conducted on March 3. An applicant can access the website of the Directorate of Education (DoE) (www.edudel.nic.in) and click on "EWS/DG Admission" link available on the home page for applying, the officials said. According to the DoE, it is mandatory for the applicants to submit their Aadhaar numbers to "avoid duplicity" of the application. The private schools (up to primary level) recognised by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have been also included in the computerised online admission system for EWS/DG category admissions at the entry level. "Single application shall be filed by an individual applicant for online admission process. .

Civic budget 2023-24 likely to be passed by special officer: MCD sources

The civic budget 2023-24 is likely to be passed by the special officer of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi as the mayoral election is still due and less than a week is left to complete the budget exercise, sources said on Thursday. If this happens, it will be an "unprecedented development" in the civic body's journey as budget is traditionally passed by a House, they said. The municipal House in Delhi on February 6 had failed to elect a mayor for the third time in a row in a month, following ruckus over the decision to allow aldermen to vote in the mayoral poll, even as the AAP alleged a "planned conspiracy" by the BJP to stall the process. An agitated AAP, which is seeking a "court-monitored" election, moved the Supreme Court on Tuesday over this issue. The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought responses of the office of the lieutenant governor, pro tem presiding officer of the MCD Satya Sharma, and others on a plea filed by AAP's mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi. A bench of Chief .

AAP has pushed back Punjab into age of darkness: Sukhbir Singh Badal

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday accused the AAP government in Punjab of pushing the state back into the "age of darkness by bankrupting" its power utility and refusing to give incentives to the industrial sector. Addressing a press conference here, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party government had not generated a single unit of power during its tenure. "It is simultaneously not paying subsidy due to PSPCL (Punjab State Power Corporation Limited) which is bankrupting the power utility," he said. Noting that part of the power needs of the state were being served by two thermal plants in Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo, he said, "These thermal plants supply power to the state at Rs 2.80 per unit. The shortfall in demand is being filled by purchasing power at Rs 8 to 10 per unit." "The situation would get worse in the summer. This will threaten paddy crop besides dealing a crippling blow to the industrial sector," Badal said. The SAD leader clai

Aldermen can vote in Delhi mayoral polls, says MCD presiding officer

The municipal House witnessed an uproar on Monday after Presiding Officer Satya Sharma announced that the nominated members will also be allowed to vote in the elections for mayor, deputy mayor and Standing Committee members. Soon after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House assembled around 11:30 am, after a delay of half an hour, she announced that elections to the posts of mayor, deputy mayor and Standing Committee members would be held simultaneously. "Aldermen will be allowed to vote in the elections for mayor, deputy mayor and Standing Committee members," Sharma said. The announcement drew protests from AAP councillors. Party leader Mukesh Goel said aldermen can't vote. To this, Sharma said, "People have sent you here to serve them, let the election be held." Following this, the House was adjourned briefly. This is the third session of the House after the December 4 municipal polls. The first two sessions -- held on January 6 and January 24 -- were adjourned by the

After 2 failed attempts to elect Delhi mayor, House to convene Monday

The Delhi municipal House is set to convene on Monday to elect a mayor for the city after failing to complete the poll in two previous attempts. As per the DMC Act 1957, the mayor and the deputy mayor are to elected in the very first House that convenes after the civic polls. However, it's been two months since the municipal elections were held, and Delhi is still to get a mayor. The first two sessions -- held on January 6 and January 24 -- were adjourned by the presiding pfficer without electing a mayor following a ruckus and acrimonious exchanges among the members of the BJP and the AAP. While the first session of the 250-member House after the December 4 poll went fully in vain, in the second session, the nominated members followed by elected members took oath. After the oath-taking exercise, the second municipal House was adjourned till the next date by Presiding Officer and BJP councillor Satya Sharma. While BJP members had walked out of chamber shouting anti-AAP and anti-Arv

BJP govt at Centre fighting with everyone, alleges Delhi CM Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday accused the BJP government at the Centre of "fighting with everyone", including states, judges, farmers as well as traders. Citing a news report on the Collegium system of appointment of judges becoming a major flashpoint between the Supreme Court and the Centre, Kejriwal advised the Narendra Modi government not to meddle in others' work. "Why does the central government fight with everyone? With judges, Supreme Court, state governments, farmers and traders? The country will not progress by quarrelling with everyone. Do your job and let others do theirs. Don't interfere in other's work," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi. The AAP government in Delhi is involved in a running battle with the Centre-appointed Lt Governor over a range of governance and jurisdiction-related matters. Last month, Kejriwal along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MLAs marched to Raj Niwas over an alleged delay in approving his government's ...

Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab cabinet nod to scheme to train teachers abroad

The Punjab Cabinet on Friday gave its nod to the implementation of a scheme for training of teachers abroad. Under this scheme, the Department of School Education will send a batch of 36 principals to the Principals Academy in Singapore and 30 principals to the National Institute of Education, an autonomous institute of the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in FY 2022-23, according to an official statement. "The training will expose them to state-of-the-art teaching practices, leadership skills, creation of teaching-learning materials and audio-visual technology," it said. "It will be helpful to obtain objectives of education in the post-pandemic world, essentials of strategic management, shaping school culture, building teachers' professional capital, curriculum leadership, mentoring, and lesson observation skills, innovation in teaching and learning and effective communication," the statement added. The Cabinet met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhagwant

AAP alleges MCD passed civic body budget without keeping it in loop

The Aam Aadmi Party Friday alleged that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) budget was passed by the civic body without keeping the ruling party in the loop. No reaction to the allegation was immediately available from the civic body officials. AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed that they learnt through newspaper reports that the budget had been passed by the MCD and since this was the objective, the elections of the mayor and deputy mayor were deliberately delayed. "It is a dangerous trend. The AAP, which came to power in the MCD, was not informed that the budget has been passed by the officers. This is wrongdoing," he claimed. The AAP won 134 wards in the MCD polls in December while the BJP won 104 wards. "The AAP has always kept the promises made in its manifesto. The budget is prepared by them and the job will be ours to work according to it. This is wrong," Bhardwaj said. The mayoral election is the first item on the agenda for the municipal House slated to

Groundwater charges set to be levied on non-exempted users in Punjab

Charges for extracting ground water in Punjab will be levied on all non-exempted users, including the industry, starting next month, with the state water regulation and development authority notifying directions in this regard. The new directions, however, do not cover groundwater use for agriculture, drinking and domestic purposes, said an official statement here, adding that the Punjab Water Regulation and Development Authority (PWRDA) has notified Punjab Groundwater Extraction and Conservation Directions, 2023. The directions also exempt government water supply schemes, military and central paramilitary establishments, urban local bodies, panchayati raj institutions, cantonment boards, improvement trusts, area development authorities and places of worship, it further said. The exemption has also been provided to all users who extract groundwater less than 300 cubic metres per month, it added. All non-exempted users shall have to submit an application to the authority for seeking

AAP govt's project to transform 1,400-km Delhi roads to kick off from Apr 1

Repairing broken pavements, central verges and manholes, resurfacing roads and sprinkling of water on them on a daily basis -- these are some of initiatives that will be undertaken as part of the Delhi government's mega project to transform the city roads that will kick off from April 1. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said about Rs 4,500 crore will be spent on the project in the first year and then Rs 2,000 crore every year. The Delhi government will also introduce deep scrubbing machines and litter picker machines, he said, adding that it will also hire over 100 mechanised road sweepers, over 150 sprinkler tankers and 250 anti-smog-guns-cum-sprinklers. The chief minister said they will be transforming a total of 1,400 kms of roads that come under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Public Works Department. He added that heavy penalties will be imposed on the contractor in case of any shortcoming in the project. The entire system will be monitored remotely