Delhi: water yet to flow out of pipeline

Contrary to the promise made in the Congress manifesto issued during the 2003 Assembly elections, in the last 100 days, the issue of full statehood to Delhi has not been raised even once by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

"In the last 100 days, our priorities have been different. We felt we had to do something concrete on the ground and then pressure the central government to give full statehood to Delhi as passed in the Assembly.

"That's why the unit area method of assessing the property tax has been made functional from April 1, 2004 and the transfer of major MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) roads to the public works department for proper maintenance has been approved. These roads include the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road, Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, Mathura Road and IP Marg. Barely had we begun work that elections were declared and the model code of conduct came into force. We have a plan of priorities that will be put in place from May 15, the minute the code of conduct ends," she said talking to Business Standard .

The Delhi polls was closely fought and although the Congress government was returned to power, the percentage of votes it got went up but the tally of seats went down by five. For Dikshit, it was an election fought on governance and performance and while it was comforting to know that the Congress base had increased, it was dismaying that its total seats had actually reduced.

The reasons for this, she is convinced was political management or the lack of it. However, given that all the other Congress chief ministers lost the elections, no one in the party is complaining too much. This has given her a sense of confidence about the prospects of the Congress in Lok Sabha polls from Delhi.

But in the Assembly polls the Congress manifesto claimed completion of 42 flyovers, a metro rail system that was shelved by the earlier ML Khurana-led Bharatiya Janata Party government on the grounds that it was too inconvenient and costly, replacement of diesel buses by those run on compressed natural gas that cost the government more than Rs 500 crore, 19 new hospitals and the power sector reforms that were initiated in 2002 with the unbundling of the Delhi Vidyut Board were the major achievements of the Dikshit government. Now, although significant power reforms have taken place, Dikshit admits that consumption outstrips supply.

During the campaign, the party had promised the replacement of the outdated Indraprastha thermal power plant by a new gas-based plant and the installation of a new 1,000 Mw gas-based power plant in Bawana. This will take time, she says.

The manifesto promised that if brought back to power, the government would make Delhi a "world class city" by introducing high capacity urban buses and electric trolleys on identified corridors.

It also promised red-light free roads, a development board for housing for lower middle class government employees and industrial workers, approval of illegal colonies and further privatisation of the distribution of power.

The most important promise in the manifesto was the enhancement of water supply by making the 140 MGD Sonia Vihar Project functional by January 2004. "A 20 MGD plant under construction in Bawana and a 90 MGD water canal will be completed and water will come from Haryana to Delhi," the manifesto said.

The crucial deadline of the Sonia Vihar Project has already been missed by the Delhi government. The state government sources said the delay was because of technical problems with the laying of the pipelines and a dispute with the UP government. However, the pipeline would be ready by June, sources said.

This is cold comfort for those living in Delhi who are already facing water problems as the mercury rises. As a palliative, what the government has done in the last 100 days is to prepare a "vision document" for the water sector that guarantees 100 per cent metering of water supply.

The Cabinet has cleared the Delhi Water Board (Amendment) Bill for the regulation of ground water and making rainwater harvesting mandatory. But water supply poses a serious problem for the credibility of the government and Dikshit admits this.

The chief minister claims that her return has resulted in a better financial position for Delhi. In the last 100 days, the sales tax revenue has grown at an average monthly rate of 20 per cent.

"Against a collection of Rs 1,000 crore in the last quarter of 2003, Rs 1,200 crore have been collected in the last 100 days,' she claims. The excise department has exceeded its revenue target (Rs 700 crore). On March 25 the collections were Rs 700.59 crore.

A new measure of a special temporary licence allowing liquor service in parties and functions was introduced. The state government has already earned Rs 10,560 crore by the sale of this licence.