New Delhi: Major AAP govt schemes will continue, Lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung says

TNN

New Delhi, Feb 19, 2014 : Major initiatives of the 49-dayKejriwal government may not get quietly buried under President’s rule. Lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung has directed the chief secretary and departmental heads to honour and follow decisions taken by the former Aam Aadmi Party government.

So, the anti-bribery helpline launched to combat corruption will remain a priority, said sources. The free water and power subsidy schemes will continue. The public grievances cell will get more staff. And, more significantly, the 24,000 power consumers who were approved for 50% waiver on unpaid bills will get the benefit, with the state set to seek the Rs 6 crore fund required to fund the subsidy in the revised budget estimates.

 

"The campaign against corruption will continue and government will follow zero tolerance towards corruption," a government statement said.

In a review meeting on Tuesday with the chief secretary, all government department heads and commissioners of municipal corporations, LG Najeeb Jung made it clear that none of the decisions and initiatives of the AAP government will be scrapped.

 

"Initiatives such as the 1031 anti-corruption helpline number, public grievance system, power subsidy, provision of 667 litres of free water daily for domestic consumption to households having metered connection in Delhi will be delivered as per the decisions taken," said Sanjiv Kumar, director, Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP).

Arvind Kejriwal’s voice which used to greet citizens calling on the 1031 anti-corruption helpline number will be removed but the appeal to fight against bribe-seekers will stay. Instead of AAP volunteers, Delhi government employees will now operate the anti-bribery helpline. After Kejriwal resigned on Friday, the future of the helpline appeared uncertain as it was manned primarily by AAP volunteers under Kejriwal’s direct supervision.

Jung put the onus of effective administration on officials, making them accountable for time-bound delivery of services. The chief secretary has been directed to carry out inspections of field offices which now be put under CCTV surveillance. "In the current situation, the officers have to be extra vigilant, careful and have to exercise their intellectual and moral strength to provide effective and proper administration in Delhi," Jung told the officers.

Jung instructed the heads of different departments to complete the preparation of vote-on-account for the first two quarters of the next financial year to ensure that the requisite budgetary grants to run the government till fresh elections are given.

Delhi’s total budget outlay for 2014-15 is proposed at Rs 37,000 crore, including plan and non plan funds. The proposals for grants will be send to the home ministry and then be routed to President Pranab Mukherjee, who will then be required to issue an ordinance to clear the vote-on-account which will be ratified later when Parliament is in session.

Looking ahead, the LG has sought the summer and monsoon action plans and has asked for desilting of drains to start on time.

Expressing concern over declining revenue generation of the state in view of the economic slowdown and falling collections from property registrations, Jung said all steps must be taken to ensure that revenue collection targets are met.