Page 20 - Delhi Government

Disastrous situation: SC raps Delhi officials over untreated solid waste

Saying the daily generation of 3,000 tonne of untreated solid waste was a "disastrous situation" and a "shocking state of affairs" in Delhi, the Supreme Court on Thursday pulled up the Delhi chief secretary and sought government's explanation. A bench comprising Justices A S Oka and Augustine George Masih pulled up the Delhi chief secretary over the compliance of Solid Waste Management Rules 2016. "The manner in which the chief secretary has dealt with the issue is surprising. He does not care about orders of this court. Does not bother to file compliance affidavit. Who says we are on same page. If there is a gap of 3,000 metric tonnes untreated solid waste daily, is it not necessary for Delhi government and municipal corporation to come together and put brakes on certain part of development activities? The explanation must come from the Delhi government. Fact of the matter is there is no compliance of 2016 rules. Have you complied with the timelines?" asked the bench. The court ...

Delhi HC directs GNCTD to swiftly fill posts for Mental Health Authority

The court also instructed that once the Authority is constituted, it should promptly establish the Review Boards as per Sections 73 and 74 of the Mental Health Act

Delhi LG urges Atishi to table pending CAG reports, says 'deliberate lapse'

LG VK Saxena called the lapse 'conscious and deliberate' and recommended a special Assembly session on December 19 or 20 to address the issue

Milestone in Delhi model: Kejriwal to make announcement for senior citizens

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi while campaigning for the upcoming Delhi Assembly Polls said that the party's national Kejriwal is the only leader in the history of Delhi who worked for the poor people

Delhi govt reluctant, farmers losing out on central schemes: Agri minister

Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan on Tuesday criticised the Delhi government for not implementing several central schemes meant for farmers, calling it "extremely unfortunate" that farmers in the region were being deprived of crucial benefits. Responding to a query in the Lok Sabha during the Question Hour, Chauhan urged the Delhi government to prioritise the welfare of farmers and implement beneficial schemes, particularly in areas surrounding the national capital. "I request the Delhi government to implement farmer-centric schemes for the benefit of farmers as there is agricultural land and farming activity around Delhi," he added. "The Centre works in coordination with state governments to ensure its schemes reach farmers. It is extremely unfortunate that the Delhi government is not availing of the benefits of many schemes, which is ultimately affecting the farmers," Chauhan said. Referring to the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism for organic fertilisers, th

Delhi EV policy woes: Registrations drop in capital while other states grow

Sector experts say that a lack of clarity and unannounced halts in the policy have deterred customers from buying EVs in Delhi

Govt will bring Doctors' Protection Act if need arises: Delhi CM Atishi

CM Atishi further stated that the AAP government was committed to providing good education and health facilities to the people of Delhi

Delhi govt submitted pending CAG reports 'just' in time: LG office

Delhi government has forwarded all 14 pending reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General to the LG for his approval to table them in the assembly after more than one and half years of delay, Raj Niwas said on Saturday. The Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta has already asked the AAP government to call a special session of the assembly, which will be completing its five years tenure in February next year, for the tabling of the CAG reports. Gupta in a petition filed in the high court earlier, sought directions to the government to lay 14 long-pending CAG Reports in the assembly. No immediate reaction was available from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party on the issue. "It took the fear of an adverse order by the Delhi High Court for the AAP government to hurriedly submit the long-pending CAG Reports to the LG to seek his permission, for making it possible for the reports to be made public, by placing them in the Assembly," the office of the Lieutenant Governor said in

NGT urges coordinated plan between DDA, DJB to resolve pollution issues

Expressing exasperation at the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) not agreeing on a coordinated action plan, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has observed that the State or its instrumentality cannot suffer a violation of the right to clean environment on any pretext. The green body was hearing a matter regarding health hazards to residents because of a stagnant open drain in south Delhi's Vasant Kunj. In an order passed on December 9, a bench of judicial member Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and expert member Afroz Ahmad, taking note of the earlier proceedings, said, "The efforts made by this tribunal for coordinated resolution of the environmental issues did not succeed and the environmental issues were not resolved." The tribunal noted that on November 22, it had observed that the "DDA and DJB are not very serious about the protection of the environment and more interested in their financial matters, leaving people to suffer on account of continuous water ...

Drone mist-spraying pilot project in hitch for high costs, limited results

A pilot project that involves the use of drones to spray mist at pollution hotspots has not been approved over the high cost and lack of measurable results, an official has said. The technology was proposed as part of Delhi's 21-point Winter Action Plan to combat worsening air quality. Officials have deemed the project costly and ineffective, stating it has failed to deliver significant, measurable improvements. "The technology is extremely expensive and does not provide noticeable advancements compared to existing methods, which are already yielding better results at a fraction of the cost," an official involved in the evaluation told PTI. On November 8, a demonstration of the project was conducted at Anand Vihar, one of Delhi's most polluted areas. During the demonstration, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai highlighted challenges posed by hotspots, such as narrow roads or congested areas where traditional modes of transport, such as trucks, cannot reach. "Pollution levels in

Delhi HC to hear plea against Kejriwal's bail in excise case in Jan 2025

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday posted on January 17, 2025, the enforcement directorate's plea against the bail granted to former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in the 2021-22 excise policy-linked money laundering case. The ED counsel urged Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri to defer the hearing in the matter on account of the unavailability of additional solicitor general S V Raju. The request was opposed by senior advocate Vikram Chaudhary, representing the AAP leader, citing "pressing urgency" in the matter. Chaudhary said the agency should withdraw its plea and the court should vacate its stay on the operation of the trial court's order granting bail. "You can't have a sword hanging on my head," he said. The ED counsel, however, said Kejriwal was already on bail pursuant to an order passed by the Supreme Court. On July 12, the top court granted interim bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case while referring to a larger bench three questions on the aspect of "need and necessity

AAP to go solo for Delhi elections, rules out alliance with Congress

AAP announces it will contest the Delhi Assembly elections independently, dismissing rumours of a Congress alliance

Museum of corruption: Delhi BJP chief gives tour of Kejriwal's Sheesh Mahal

This is the reality of the black money hoarded by Arvind Kejriwal who calls himself a common man, Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva added

Over 13k people benefited from single-window camps under PM-UDAY in Delhi

Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena reviewed the progress of single-window camps under PM-UDAY, under which 13,300 applicants from unauthorised colonies visited and availed of the facility, the Raj Niwas said on Monday. The Prime Minister-Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi Awas Adhikar Yojana (PM-UDAY) scheme aims to grant ownership rights to residents of 1,731 unauthorised colonies in the national capital. The scheme's primary objective is to provide legal recognition to residents' properties by conferring ownership rights. On Saxena's instructions, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is holding these camps every weekend from November 30 to December 29 at 10 processing centres in these unauthorised colonies. The Raj Niwas said in its statement that Saxena had asked the DDA to undertake the exercise on a mission mode. These camps witnessed 13,353 applicants visiting to get their properties regularised, it said. Most applicants got their applications cleared and approved on the spot. In so

Winter action plan: Delhi govt to set up 230 tents as shelter for homeless

The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has set up 235 pagoda tents to provide shelter to homeless individuals during cold winter nights, according to officials. According to the Delhi government's winter action plan 2024-25 launched on November 15, a total of 250 tents are to be set up. The remaining 15 tents have been reserved for an emergency. "Each tent is equipped with essential amenities such as mattresses, blankets, toilet facilities, and health checkup services, along with three meals a day," an official said "Security measures have also been taken, with three guards assigned for each tent working eight-hour shifts," he said. For individuals staying in permanent shelter buildings, additional facilities such as geysers for hot water are being provided to ensure a more comfortable stay during the cold months, he added. Delhi recorded its coldest night of the season on Saturday, with the mercury dropping to 7.1 degrees Celsius. On Sunday, the city recorded a low of

AAP announces women's honorarium in Delhi; finance dept cites budget issues

AAP government's plan to provide a monthly honorarium of Rs 1000 to eligible women in Delhi before the upcoming Assembly polls, seems to have hit the bureaucratic logjam with the Finance department flagging budgetary constraints, officials said on Friday. The Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojna of the AAP government was announced in the budget 2024-25 for providing Rs 1000 to each of the eligible women in Delhi per month. An allocation of Rs 2,000 crore was also made by the government in the budget for the scheme. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has been reiterating in his Padyatra campaigns for the Assembly polls, that the scheme will be launched soon and the monthly honorarium will be credited to the bank accounts of the women. A week ago while campaigning in Burari constituency, Kejriwal also said that registration for the scheme will start very soon. However, officials said that the Finance department of the Delhi government has ...

Delhi govt increases budget outlay by Rs 1,700 crore to Rs 77,700 crore

According to the documents presented in the Delhi assembly on Wednesday, the government has allocated additional funds of Rs 400 crore in revised estimates for 2024-25 under the Scheme MLALAD

WCD min slams govts over non-implementation of women empowerment schemes

Union Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi on Tuesday accused the Delhi and West Bengal governments of failing to implement crucial women's safety measures despite central funding and support. Addressing the media, she alleged that the Delhi government had not paid the staff of One-Stop Centres (OSCs) established under the Nirbhaya Fund to assist women in distress. The Delhi High Court last month asked the Delhi government's revenue department to take steps to streamline and pay outstanding salaries of the staff working at the OSCs and take action against delinquent officials. "The Centre has consistently supported states through initiatives like the Nirbhaya Fund, but it is disappointing to see delays in implementation at the state level," the minister said. Devi also criticised the West Bengal government for not operationalising Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) to expedite cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Reaffirming the ..

Kejriwal blames Amit Shah for poor law and order in Delhi amid MLA's arrest

The remarks came after AAP MLA Naresh Balyan, who allegedly received repeated threats from a gangster, was arrested in an extortion case

Winters of despair: How Delhi's pollution curbs affect construction workers

"When they stop our work, we don't just lose the wages. It's the food on our plates and the little we try to save for our children's future," says Raju Singh, a mason from Bihar. He was one of thousands of migrant and local construction workers rendered jobless following the November 11 ban on constructions, prompted by the Delhi-NCR's air quality plunging to hazardous levels. More such bans are likely to follow throughout the winter. While that is good news for the city's residents, the story is different for these construction workers. "Even though working in the polluted air makes it hard for us to breathe, I would rather work than sit idle," Raju Singh says, describing the crushing blow the restrictions have on his finances. These trysts with work stoppages have become an annual affair for him, and hundreds of others like him. The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) -- a statutory body responsible for formulating ...