Page 81 - Arvind Kejriwal

Kejriwal okays 24/7 ops of 29 shops, commercial establishments in Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday approved round-the-clock operations of 29 more shops and commercial establishments in the national capital. The main objective behind allowing these shops and business establishments to operate 24 hours is to create more employment opportunities along with strengthening the economy of Delhi, said a statement from the chief minister's office. This decision will also go a long way in providing a boost to the night life in the city, it added. These 29 establishments that have been allowed to operate 24 hours by the chief minister are shops, restaurants, retail trade or business and commercial category establishments. After the approval of the chief minister, the proposal will now be sent to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi for further action. Under the Delhi Shops and Establishments Act of 1954, a total of 35 individuals expressed their interest in operating shops for 24 hours by applying online to the Delhi Department of Labour. Among

AAP accuses Delhi chief secy 'bypassing' CM, sending files directly to LG

In a fresh round of tussle, the AAP government in Delhi on Thursday accused its Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar of sending files directly to the lieutenant governor "bypassing" the chief minister and not following the constitutional system. No immediate reaction was available either from the chief secretary or the lieutenant governor's to the government's claim. In a statement, the Delhi government alleged that the chief secretary sent a file concerning the proposed visit of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) mayor to Australia to participate in the Asia Pacific Cities Summit directly to the LG instead of the chief minister. "In a shocking series of events, it has come to light that the chief secretary, in breach of his constitutional obligations, is attempting to bypass the chief minister and sending official files to the office of the LG, without due permission from the chief minister," the statement claimed. The statement also claimed that the LG office has asked the chief ..

Kejriwal accuses BJP of backstabbing people of Delhi after LS passes bill

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused the BJP of backstabbing the people of the national capital after Lok Sabha passed a bill to replace an ordinance promulgated for handling the transfers and postings of senior officers in the city government. Kejriwal lashed out at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and urged people not to believe anything the PM says. "BJP always promised to give full statehood to Delhi. In 2014, Modi himself said that on becoming the prime minister, he would give full statehood to Delhi. But today these people stabbed the people of Delhi in the back. Don't believe anything said by Modiji from now on," he said in a tweet in Hindi. The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, was passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday amid a walkout by opposition parties. The Delhi services bill was passed after a nearly four-hour-long debate which was replied to by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Shah made it clear that the ..

Shah didn't have single valid argument in favour of Delhi services bill: CM

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah did not have a single valid argument in favour of bringing the GNCTD (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and asserted that the opposition bloc INDIA will never let it happen. Initiating the debate in Lok Sabha on the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Shah said the BJP and the Congress had ruled the national capital without any confrontation, but problems arose only in 2015 when a government came that had no intention to serve but only to fight with the Centre. In his first reaction after the introduction of the bill, Kejriwal said this is a bill to enslave people of Delhi. "Today I heard Amit Shah ji speaking in Lok Sabha on the bill which snatches away the rights of the people of Delhi. They do not have a single valid argument to support the bill... They also know that they are doing wrong. This bill is a bill to enslave the people of Delhi. This is a bill that makes

DBC employees demanding regularisation protest outside Delhi CM's house

Domestic Breeding Checkers (DBC) tasked with containing the spread of dengue and malaria in the national capital Thursday staged a protest outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence here demanding regularisation and better equipment. The DBC employees were promised permanent posts as field workers by the government in March 2022. This has not been materialised as of yet. Several such workers have complained that their salaries barely cover the expenses of their families. On Thursday, scores of DBC employees gathered outside Kejriwal's house demanding regularisation. They held banners and placards stating their demands for better equipment, job security and financial safety. During the strike, organised by Anti-Malaria Ekta Karamchari Union, the protestors said despite working for several years, no official position was granted to them, owing to which they are not entitled to any medical benefits and post-retirement allowances. DBC employees were first introduced to the cit

Delhi govt imposes 5 yr jail, fine for production, sale of Chinese manjha

The decision comes ahead of Independence Day and Rakhshabandhan as kite-flying surges during this time

Delhi CM calls meeting with minister, mayor over escalating dengue cases

The meeting aims to devise a comprehensive strategy to combat the escalating dengue cases that have gripped the city in recent weeks

Guj court grants more time to Kejriwal for appearance in defamation case

A court here on Wednesday granted some more time to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh to appear before it in response to summons issued to them in a criminal defamation case. The court of chief metropolitan magistrate SJ Panchal rejected the AAP leaders' exemption applications and kept the matter for August 11. Kejriwal and Singh are facing a criminal defamation case filed by Gujarat University (GU) over their sarcastic and derogatory remarks over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational degree. Through their lawyer, the two leaders assured the court that they will remain present during the next date of hearing provided there do not arise circumstances beyond their control. If they face any such circumstances that prevent them from appearing, then there are judgments that allow counsels to record a plea, their lawyer told the court. The respondents sought exemption on various grounds and said they have challenged the ..

NDMC meeting adjourned amid ruckus over Delhi govt's flood 'mismanagement'

A New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) meeting chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday adjourned amid ruckus and sloganeering against the AAP chief over his government's mismanagement during recent rains and flood situation in the city. Council members cornered Kejriwal over several issues including incidents related to recent rains and flood situations in the national capital. NDMC Vice Chairman Satish Upadhyay on Wednesday alleged that the council meeting convened at the council room, got adjourned after questions were raised regarding the recent rains and flood situation in the New Delhi area. "Today's meeting was postponed by Kejriwal. If he wanted, the meeting could have been held again after a while but he did not want to. The council members have a legitimate right to demand answers and accountability from the chief minister for the betterment of the city and its residents, which they did today," he said. Upadhyay informed that the next meeting of the Council wi

Kejriwal writes to FM, points to Delhi's 'frozen' share in central taxes

Ahead of constitution of the 16th Central Finance Commission, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has written to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, pointing to Delhi's "frozen" share in central pool of taxes even as he demanded that Delhi be treated as a "unique case". Alleging "stepmotherly and unfair" treatment by the Centre, Kejriwal said Delhi's share in central pool of taxes was "frozen at astonishingly low" amount of Rs 350 crore for the last 23 years. "Had Delhi been treated in an unbiased manner, its share would have been Rs 7,378 crore," he said in his letter to Sitharaman. Kejriwal also said that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been facing "extreme unjust behaviour" over the last few years, with it receiving nothing from the Central government. The chief minister said it was understood that since Delhi's name has been removed (for being a Union Territory) from the 'Terms of Reference' of the Finance Commission, it does not fall under the purview of tax ...

Delhi govt to install 500 water ATMs near slums, densely populated areas

The Delhi government has planned to install 500 water ATMs to provide drinking water treated using the Reverse Osmosis (RO) process to people in slums and other such densely populated areas, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday. The chief minister, who inspected an RO plant and inaugurated a water ATM at Khajan Basti in the Mayapuri area, said four water ATMs have been installed and 500 are planned in the first phase. Every person will be provided with a card which will let them draw 20 litres of water per day from these ATMs free of cost, he said. "We are all aware that it is the rich people who usually have RO facilities in their homes. Now with this facility the poor families in Delhi will also be able to receive clean RO water," Kejriwal said. He further said that the water ATMs will be installed near slums and other such densely populated areas where pipelines cannot be laid and water is supplied through tankers. Under a pilot project, four RO plants have already bee

AAP MP Sanjay Singh suspended from Rajya Sabha for Monsoon session

The Rajya Sabha on Monday suspended AAP MP Sanjay Singh for the remaining duration of the Monsoon session for his "unruly behaviour". Leader of the House Piyush Goyal moved the motion to suspend him, which was adopted by the House by voice vote. Before the motion was moved, Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar named Singh for his "unruly behaviour" and cautioned him. Soon after suspending Singh, the chairman adjourned the proceedings till 2 PM as opposition members continued to create uproar in the House. They were demanding a statement from the prime minister in the House on the Manipur issue.

Delhi's green cover to be increased to 25% in coming years: CM Kejriwal

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said Delhi's green cover has to be increased from the existing 23 per cent to 25 per cent in the coming years to make the national capital world's greenest and cleanest city. Kejriwal, attending a Van Mahotsav where Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena was the chief guest, said this year, more than one crore saplings will be planted across the city. He said, 27.5 lakh saplings have already been planted. Kejriwal said, at 23 per cent, Delhi's green cover was higher than cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru as well as London and New York. During the event held at Asola Bhati Mines wildlife sanctuary, 5.5 lakh saplings were planted.

NCCSA should wait for meet as related bill to be tabled in parl: Kejriwal

The National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA) should wait for its next meeting in view of the bill related to its establishment being scheduled to be tabled in Parliament, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind has suggested. In a note written by the chief minister's office to the secretary of NCCSA and the principal secretary (home) of the Delhi government on Thursday, it was said "Chief Minister/Chairperson (NCCSA) has observed that since the Bill replacing the Ordinance is being placed before the Parliament in coming week, Authority should wait for its next meeting." The note said that otherwise the next meeting of the authority will take place at the chief minister's camp office at 5 PM on July 28. The chief minister had on July 7 deferred a meeting of NCCSA to July 14. The authority was established through an ordinance in May. The bill to replace the ordinance will be tabled in Parliament in the ongoing Monsoon session. The Central government ordinance under which the authority

Sad that nobody cares for 'headless' DERC, will appoint ad-hoc chief: SC

As the hearing began on Thursday, the apex court was informed that the chief minister and the LG failed to arrive at a consensus on the issue

Delhi govt to turn Anganwadi into early childhood learning centre: CM

The Delhi government wants to turn Anganwadi into an early childhood learning centre, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday. Launching the early childhood care and education (ECCE) kit developed by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) Delhi and Anganwadi team, Kejriwal said that children will soon be taught moral values and their emotional and psychological needs will be fulfilled at Anganwadi centres. "So far Anganwadi used to be considered to be a centre for providing midday meals and nutrition to children, but now, we want to change that concept. We will turn it into an early childhood learning centre, where children will be taught moral values and their emotional and psychological needs will be fulfilled," Kejriwal said. He further stated that the SCERT has prepared the "best" kit for the Anganwadi children to provide them with a proper early childhood programme. "The SCERT has prepared the best kit for the Anganwadi children. Every chi

PM Modi has been silent, sign of weak leader: Kejriwal after Manipur video

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday said the video of two women being paraded naked in Manipur has shaken the conscience of the nation, and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take strict action to restore peace in the state. "It has often been seen that PM Modi is quiet on such incidents. It is the sign of a weak leader. A courageous leader comes out in the front. It doesn't happen that they shut themselves in a room. Se has been silent (on the issue), the AAP chief said. Tension mounted in the hills of Manipur after a May 4 video surfaced on Wednesday showing two women from one of the warring communities being paraded naked by a few men from the other side. The video was doing the rounds on the eve of a planned protest march announced by the Indigenous Tribal Leaders' Forum (ITLF) on Thursday to highlight their plight. "The video that went viral has shaken the conscience of nation. It is criminal and extremely shameful that there has been violence in the state for mor

Delhi LG, CM meet at Raj Niwas to discuss DERC chairperson appointment

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday held a meeting at the Raj Niwas here to pick a candidate to head the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), officials said. Details of the meeting, which went on for nearly an hour, are yet to be known. Ahead of the meeting, the Delhi government furnished three names before the LG, official sources said. On Monday, the Supreme Court asked the two constitutional functionaries to rise above "political bickering" and discuss who could head the DERC. The court will take up the issue for consideration again on Thursday. The post of the DERC chairman assumes significance since the regulator decides the power tariff in the national capital. The position has been lying vacant since January amid the differences between the AAP dispensation and the LG's office over the new appointee. Kejriwal in January recommended the name of retired High Court judge Rajeev Kumar Srivastava for the post. Srivasta

SC asks CM Kejriwal, Delhi L-G Saxena to rise above 'political bickering'

The Supreme Court on Monday asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena to rise above "political bickering" and discuss who could head the national capital's power regulator DERC, saying the two constitutional functionaries should get down to "serious work of governance away from glare of publicity. In a bid to break the ongoing deadlock over naming a retired judge for the DERC post, a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha suggested that the chief minister and the LG should meet and sit down together on Tuesday and reach a consensus either on one name or may exchange three names each. The two constitutional functionaries have to rise above political bickering and they should give a name for the post of DERC chairperson." The bench then fixed for Thursday the plea of the Delhi government over the issue of appointment of the chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission(DERC). Does everything have to b

Water level of Yamuna reaches 205.92 metres, still above danger level

The water level of the Yamuna reached 205.92 metres at 4 pm on Monday and remained above the danger mark of 205.33 metres, officials said. The water level of the river was recorded at 205.58 metres at 9 am. The level of Yamuna breached the previous all-time record of 207.49 metres and the 208-metre mark on July 12. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the water has started receding and people will soon be able to go back to their homes from relief camps. "The water has started going down. Now people will be able to go back to their homes from the relief camps. We have to help them to get their life back to normal. I appeal to all people to help them. This is a work of virtue," Kejriwal said in a tweet. Delhi minister Atishi said the road behind the Red Fort that was inundated has been cleared by the PWD and it will be open to commuters soon. "I am happy to inform that the water from the road behind the Red Fort has been cleared by PWD's overnight hard work. Right now only the mud