After power & water,Delhi govt focuses on Lokpal Bill
Setting up security force,regularising unauthorised coloniesr and contractual labour: AAP manifesto
After delivering on its pre-poll promises on electricity and water,the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is now looking to fulfil other promises listed in its manifesto — passing the Delhi Lokpal Bill,setting up a security force,regularising unauthorised colonies and contractual labour.
Passing the Delhi Lokpal Bill,which forms the crux of the AAP’s anti-corruption measures,tops the government’s list of priorities,Law Minister Somnath Bharti said. “While discussions on the Bill have taken place among AAP members,the passing of the bill depends on the views of other parties,” Bharti said.
While the details of the bill are yet to be finalised,Bharti said the party was working on refining certain aspects. “This is going to be a comprehensive legislation with its own investigating agencies. The party is working of finer details and the final announcement will be done in sometime,” he said.
As far as issues over electricity are concerned,party members maintained that several other steps would be taken by the government to check the escalating bills. “We have approached experts from IIT-Delhi and Delhi College of Engineering for a meter-testing exercise. We want to figure out if there was a deliberate attempt to install meters which would run fast and result in inflated bills,” a senior party leader said.
The Delhi government is also working towards making jobs for contract labourers permanent,Labour Minister Girish Soni said. “We have asked all government departments to send us lists of contract jobs in each department. There are people who have been working for more than five years but their jobs have not been regularised till now. Once we receive the details,we will hold discussions on how the regularisation should take place,” Soni said.
The AAP manifesto states,“No contractual jobs for work that is required 365 days a year; ensuring implementation of minimum wages.”
Another announcement,which is expected in the next few days,relates to the regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the capital.
Prior to the elections,the AAP had said they would regularise unauthorised colonies based on rates decided in March 2008. The manifesto had stated that the mohalla sabhas would oversee the process of authorisation,planning and supervision of development works in these areas.
“The discussion on regularising unauthorised colonies has been going on in our Cabinet meetings. A decision on the matter will be made public shortly,” Soni added.
With women’s security being a major concern in Delhi,the AAP had also proposed a security force headed by retired Army officials. “We will soon come out with a policy on the issue of women’s security and a security force head by retired Army officials will be its central feature,” Bharti said.
A party member said,“This will be a community policy,involving a group of people from every neighbourhood. The force will also create awareness among people on the issue of women’s safety,facilitate lodging of FIRs,among other things. The force will be unarmed.”
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