Major policy decisions await Chief Minister-designate’s nod

Chief Minister-designate Atishi has numerous files awaiting her approval, which have been pending since Arvind Kejriwal’s incarceration in March. The Supreme Court, in its order, barred Kejriwal from visiting the Chief Minister’s office, allowing him only to sign documents forwarded to the Lieutenant-Governor.

Need to act swiftly

• The AAP government, whose functioning was affected due to five-month imprisonment of outgoing CM Arvind Kejriwal, has been struggling to address issues related to basic services and infra that include roads, water supply and sewer, and medicines due to alleged fund crunch.
• Atishi will have to deal with these and much more during her short span of chief ministership, apart from ensuring implementation of Kejriwal's promise to provide ~1,000 honorarium to eligible women.

Atishi, who is likely to take the oath after the L-G announces the date, will need to act swiftly to restore the city government’s momentum and ensure that flagship projects and schemes are back on track ahead of the Assembly polls due in February.

The AAP government, whose functioning was affected due to five-month imprisonment of outgoing CM Arvind Kejriwal, has been struggling to address issues related to basic services and infrastructure that include roads, water supply and sewer and medicines due to alleged fund crunch.

Atishi will have to deal with these and much more during her short span of chief ministership, apart from ensuring implementation of Kejriwal’s promise to provide Rs 1,000 honorarium to eligible women in Delhi under Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana. This flagship scheme was announced in this year’s Delhi budget, intended in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, but it stalled after Kejriwal’s arrest.

Other major policies awaiting the CM’s nod include the Electric Vehicle Policy, Delhi Startup Policy, Dilli Bazaar portal, Cloud Kitchen Policy, Food Truck Policy, City’s Logistic Plan, Delhi Electronic System Design, Manufacturing and Refurbishment Policy and the Industrial and Economic Development Policy.

Additionally, a Cabinet seat has been vacant since the resignation of Raaj Kumar Anand. However, with Kejriwal’s resignation and the formation of a new government, the Cabinet will undergo a reorganisation.

One of the most important tasks pending with the Delhi CM is to convene the National Capital Civil Services Authority, which oversees the transfer and posting of ‘Grade A’ officers, along with decisions regarding disciplinary actions against them.

The new CM will also be involved in hectic meetings to speed up pending work on welfare schemes and infrastructure-related projects related to roads, water supply, sewerage, pollution, disbursal of subsidies and wage revision of workers in the unorganised sector.

The most daunting task before Atishi, however, will be to establish healthy relations with the L-G office in the wake of his approval needed for a variety of governance as well as welfare and development related works of the Delhi Government.

Launch of projects and schemes such as mohalla clinics and premium buses, inauguration of hospitals, schools and flyovers and new initiatives could materialise in coming weeks with the new CM taking charge.