As the BJP gets ready to hit the ground running after the oath ceremony on Thursdaythe challenges before the new government will be immense, from fulfilling its poll promises while managing the finances to developing the national capital’s infrastructure. The party picked first-time MLA Rekha Gupta, the Shalimar Bagh legislator, as the Chief Minister after its legislature party meeting on Wednesday night.
One of the BJP’s biggest election promises was that its government would disburse Rs 2,500 to eligible women beneficiaries by March 8. In one of his campaign speeches, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “We have pledged to give Rs 2,500 (per month) to our sisters … this guarantee will be completed because it is Modi’s guarantee … you will see that the BJP government will be formed In Delhi and on March 8, International Women’s Day … they (women) will start getting money in their accounts.”
Putting in place a proper mechanism for this in the next few weeks is going to be a major challenge for the incoming government. The new administration will also need to get cracking within days to put together the budget for the new fiscal, keeping in mind allocations for the scheme for women as well as Rs 21,000 for pregnant women, as promised.
Quick implementation of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme is also on top of the BJP government’s agenda. The AAP government did not adopt it, becoming the only administration after the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government to reject the Centre’s health insurance scheme.
Implementing the scheme will open doors for Delhi to get the Centre’s funding for a healthcare infrastructure upgrade, the lack of which the Delhi High Court has already flagged in several hearings.
2. A clean Yamuna
A big promise that every new government has made after coming to power is a clean Yamuna. In 2015, the AAP had promised that the river would be clean enough to take a dip in within two years.
The high pollution level in the river was a big talking point during the campaign, with the BJP promising to do what neither the Congress nor the AAP could achieve during their time in power.
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The challenge, however, is enormous. Reports have shown that most of the pollutants in the Yamuna get added as the river passes through Delhi, with effluents from illegal industries and untreated sewage from unauthorised colonies the main sources. Add to these the less-than-ideal amount of water in the river during non-monsoon months, and the new government has a Herculean task ahead of it.
3. Finances
When the AAP was in power, especially in the last two years of its second term, the finance department raised several red flags about the financial health of the Union Territory. Before the elections, the AAP government sought a Rs 10,000 crore high-interest loan from the National Small Savings Fund.
The finance department, over the years, has red-flagged government spending on subsidies. The BJP has promised that the subsidies offered by the AAP government, including free power, water, and bus rides for women, will continue. It has also promised several of its own.
During the AAP’s tenure, Delhi maintained a revenue surplus. The new government will also need to align its stance with the financial implications of Central government projects such as RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit System) and Delhi Metro. It will also need to set the ball rolling from its end for new buses under the FAME scheme for electric vehicles. Under this scheme, more buses will be inducted into the public bus fleet.
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4. Urban development
The previous AAP government blamed the “adverse attitude” of bureaucrats and the office of the Lieutenant Governor for several infrastructure development projects coming to a grinding halt. Road redevelopment and garbage collection were among the basic ones.
The BJP that campaigned on the promise of a “double-engine” government — the party also holds an upper hand in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi — will have to come up with tangible results soon. It will need to set aside a sizable allocation for urban development, including road repair and maintenance, flyovers, and doing away with garbage mountains at landfills.
According to sources, draft Cabinet notes and proposals to start work were readied for quick implementation even before the government was sworn in. Reiterating PM Modi’s campaign pitch, a senior BJP leader said the incoming government would focus on “building Delhi as the developed capital of a developed India”.
“Under PM Modi’s leadership, the thrust will be on hastening development which was deliberately kept away from the city by Arvind Kejriwal for 11 years,” the BJP leader said, adding, “There will be projects of high visibility which will be undertaken to prove to the people that the BJP is not only serious about delivering what it promised but is also the only party with the capacity to rebuild this city to the level of glory it deserves on account of being the national capital.”
