Regret not being allowed to ensure ration at doorstep: Arvind Kejriwal

“I became the CM but there’s a regret that I have. I haven’t been allowed to implement this (doorstep delivery of ration) scheme in Delhi. For the last four years, I have pleaded with the Centre but they refuse to allow it. Our shoes have worn off making rounds of their offices to get this done, but they have their own vested interests. But then, God has been very kind. When there were roadblocks on one path, he opened another for us. We’ve implemented the scheme in Punjab… The Centre has only put roadblocks in our way. They held up the Mohalla clinic project for two years. Then they stopped the CCTV project. We were forced to protest inside the L-G house to get the file (for CCTVs) cleared.”

Addressing the house during the ongoing budget session of the Delhi Assembly, he said AAP’s ideology was love for the country, staunch honesty and humanity.

“Many people ask me what our ideology is. I tell them, AAP’s ideology has three pillars — kattar desh prem, kattar imandaari, insaaniyat. We have a staunchly honest government in two states now,” he said. Speaking about the ‘Rozgaar budget’ that the government tabled this year, Kejriwal said his government was not afraid to make commitments to the people.

“For the first time in the history of independent India, a government has had the courage to present a ‘Rozgaar Budget’… The AAP government in Punjab regularised 35,000 employees and announced 25,000 new government jobs. The AAP government in Delhi has announced the generation of 20 lakh jobs in 5 years through its budget. AAP’s work initiates a country-wide conversation on governance; like governments copied our schools, Mohalla clinics and free electricity, they will be compelled to create jobs too,” he said.

Meanwhile, senior AAP leaders Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj said it was the BJP-led Centre that had opposed the regularisation of Kashmiri migrant teachers in Delhi schools.

“It was our government that offered permanent jobs to Kashmiri Migrant teachers. BJP’s L-G ordered that since it is a services related matter, the elected government of Delhi has no right to take final decisions. BJP Spokesperson Pinky Anand opposed the regularisation of Kashmiri migrant teachers when the SLP was filed,” she said.

BJP leaders, however, accused AAP of opposing the regularisation in court. “The AAP often takes cudgels against the L-G and one fails to understand why AAP leaders kept mum when the L-G was stopping them,” said Delhi BJP General Secretary Harsh Malhotra.