EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH SHEILA DIKSHIT, CHIEF MINISTER OF NCT OF DELHI
What is the Delhi government’s infrastructure development plan for the 12th Five-Year Plan?
The third phase of Delhi Metro will be completed during the 12th Five-Year Plan adding 104 km of new Metro Line for which the Delhi government will invest about Rs.6,300 crore during the 12th Plan. The first Monorail Corridor Project will be taken up in the Trans Yamuna area during the 12th Plan. The old fleet of DTC buses will be replaced by new low-floor buses.
Outer Ring Road will be developed as a signal free road with the construction of flyovers, RUB and some sections of elevated road between Vikaspuri and Wazirabad involving a cost of around Rs.2,385 crore. Western and Eastern Peripheral Expressway connecting Kondli to Palwal and Palwal to Kondli will be completed. The road taken over from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will now be improved and maintained by PWD. Two new modern ISBTs will be developed at Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar.
Two new water treatment plants being constructed at Okhla and Dwarka will be made functional. Chandrawal water treatment plant will be totally renovated along with its trunk and peripheral distribution line network. Three new sewage treatment plants at Yamuna Vihar, Kondli and Okhla will be commissioned during this year, the first year of the 12th Plan. A knowledge based industrial park will be developed near Baprola village in an area of about 77 acres at a cost of about Rs.1,800 crore under PPP approach.
What are your main achievements during your 13-year long tenure as Chief Minister of Delhi? Few of the achievements are:
- Completion of Delhi Metro Phase-I & II – 194 km Metro Line. More than 20 lakh commuters are availing of the metro facility daily.
- Entire public transport system (road transport) put on CNG fuel since November 2002 for control on pollution due to vehicles exhaust.
- 3,700 low floor new DTC buses purchased.
- Blue Line buses replaced by private sector corporate operator system.
- More than 55 flyovers, ROB and RUB constructed.
- More than 60 FOB constructed for pedestrian’s safety and convenience.
- Water supply capacity increased from 650 mgd in 2000 to 850 mgd at present.
- Six state universities and deemed universities established since 1998.
- Three government engineering colleges started.
- Three superspeciality hospitals for liver, cancer and pediatrics started.
- Hospital beds increased from 30,667 in 2002 to 42,700 beds in 2011.
- Power sector reforms of Delhi government has been categorised as the most successful which contributed in reduction of AT&C losses from 54 per cent in 2002 to 18 per cent in 2010-11.
- Generation capacity being increased with setting up of 1,500 MW new gas turbine at Bawana and joint sector thermal station at Jhajjar.
How is Delhi encouraging private participation in infrastructure development?
The government has already succeeded in involving private sector participation in the bus transport system of the city. The private sector corporate bus operator system has already started operation in four clusters by deploying more than 265 buses. By the end of this year the private sector will be plying about 1,000 buses under this new system.
Delhi Jal Board has also decided to involve private sector in water distribution system on pilot basis in three localities.
What is your long-term strategy for power generation and supply?
The issue of gas supply for the Bawana plant has been resolved and now this plant will start functioning to its full capacity of 1,500 MW by the end of this financial year. Delhi will get 1,064 MW from this new generation plant.
The joint sector thermal power plant of 1,500 MW being set up at Jhajjar by Government of Delhi and Government of Haryana is also likely to be completed during this financial year. The first unit of 500 MW has already been commissioned and Delhi is getting 250 MW from this unit. On completion of this plant Delhi will get 750 MW from this joint sector plant.
A new gas-based plant of 750 MW is proposed to be set up at Bamnoli. This new plant will be commissioned by BHEL.
More new gas-based plants are proposed to be set up at Kanjhawala (350 MW), Rajghat (330 MW) and IP thermal station site (350 MW).
The only major issue to be resolved for these new plants is to get firm allocation of gas supply.
The Delhi government plans to construct 72,000 low-cost flats for slum-dwellers and economically weaker sections in next two years.
Projects for construction of about 68,000 economically weaker sections flats have already been approved by the Government of India under JNNURM. About 14,000 EWS flats are ready for allotment and construction of 54,000 EWS flats is at different stages.
Shilela dixit Will the increase in Delhi’s revenue in 2011-12 help fund infrastructure projects?
The Government of Delhi is implementing almost all developmental projects and programmes from its own resources, as the central government’s contribution is only Rs.1,928 crore in the Delhi government’s current year’s total budget of Rs.33,436 crore. Thus, increasing revenue collection is certainly funding infrastructure development programmes of the Delhi government.
How does the government ensure that development and environment protection go hand-inhand?
Our major programme for environmental improvement in the 12th Five-Year Plan is to completely check pollution in the Yamuna. The major project for laying interceptor sewer along three major drains has already been started to achieve this target.
Another programme is to provide a sewerage system in non-sewered areas. Projects for providing sewerage systems in unauthorised colonies and rural villages are in progress.
Projects under YAP-II have reached completion stage and new projects have been selected for implementation under YAP-III involving cost of about Rs.1,700 crore.
Massive plantation programmes will be undertaken during the 12th Five-Year Plan so as to increase the green cover area from 20 per cent of the total area at present to 30 per cent of the total area by the end of the 12th Plan.
On completion of Eastern and Western Peripheral Expressway, non-destinated interstate vehicles will not enter Delhi’s roads.
On commissioning of Bawana gas plant to full capacity, the thermal station at Rajghat will be closed.
Can you talk about the maintenance of infrastructure already created?
All government departments have been directed to prepare their maintenance plan for all infrastructure and assets already available with them. Sufficient funds have been allocated for maintenance of assets and infrastructure to each department. Performance of maintenance plan of each department is being monitored and reviewed at regular intervals at different levels in the government.
