Seeking power in Delhi after three decades and to oust the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the one promise the BJP made was to hit the ground running. A month later, the Rekha Gupta government does seem in motion – helped by a Lieutenant Governor and, by extension the Centre, in step with it. This understanding between the two power centres in the Capital’s unique structure is a departure from the insistent wrangling under the AAP. And extends literally to Memorandums of Understanding – between the Centre's Inland Waterways Authority of India and Delhi government agencies to develop cruise tourism on a 4-km stretch of the Yamuna; between the Delhi government and Jewar Airport authority in the NCR for better connectivity; and another on the cards for the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Insurance Scheme and the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) and for the operationalisation of ‘Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (as the AAP government’s erstwhile Mohalla Clinics are to be called)’. The BJP government, a source said, was “well on its way” to deliver Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hope for “visible change” in Delhi within three years, with L-G V K Saxena playing a key role. “The L-G, who has an interface with both the Centre as well as significant Delhi government departments, has been asked to assist the latter in the development of the city… The focus is on facilitating administrative change by acting as a connector…,” the source said, “. unlike during the tenure of the AAP”. At the two Cabinet meetings held so far since it took over on February 20, the BJP government has gone about fulfilling its poll promises, including tabling of pending CAG reports from the AAP regime’s time, implementation of the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Delhi, and setting aside of Rs 5,000 crore for the Mahila Samridhi Yojana to provide Rs 2,500 per month to eligible women. The Mahila Samridhi Yojana, with money to start coming into the accounts of beneficiaries by March 8, was one of the foremost poll promises of the BJP. While the government is still to decide the contours and eligibility of the scheme, the announcement has bought the BJP government time and taken heat off the AAP campaign on the matter. On the ground, the most visible change is the sprucing up of Delhi's roads, and the ministers who are on inspection rounds in the streets almost on a daily basis, including Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The BJP government will next move on to issues such as having a summer action plan for water availability and desilting of drains before the monsoons, to avoid a scenario like the devastating floods last year. In the Budget to be presented on March 24, the stress will be on people-friendly policies, sources said. A senior government official said: “The brief for the new CM and her Cabinet (from the party leadership) is to be among the people. The CM attends up to five public functions daily, and the same goes for ministers.” The BJP was not in a hurry, the official added. “The government has enough time to implement the PM's vision for Delhi and it is taking time to work on an effective policy.”
