NEW DELHI: Delhi Government is in talks with NAFED to supply essential items at less than market rates. The items will include cooking oil, food
grains, rice and atta and will be available in 300 centres across the city. Chief minister Sheila Dikshit made this announcement on Monday while addressing the state level Republic Day celebrations at the Ambdekar Stadium. While saying that the modalities for this are being finalized, Dikshit also recounted her government’s efforts to supply atta at Rs 14 per kg and pulses at subsidized rates through the Kendriya Bhandars. This was Dikshit’s 12th successive inspection Republic Day parade.
In a marked departure from her pet peeve of how migrants are exerting pressure on the city’s infrastructure, Dikshit emphasized that Delhi belongs to all Indians and it is mini-India in the true sense and how people coming from other states have significantly constributed to the development of Delhi.
Among the schemes she mentioned in her speech are Mission Convergence — an effort to give single window clearance for 46 welfare schemes of eight departments and the Laadli scheme — which she said has resulted in an increase in births of girls in the city to the tune of 1004 girls per 1,000 boys. She also mentioned the successful no-cracker campiagn. She also lauded the role of school eco clubs in increasing the green cover of Delhi.
“Delhi is ready to host the Commonwealth Games 2010 in October. Sixteen new modern stadia are being commissioned to organize the competitions apart from a large number of flyovers and FoBs. Metro will reach Gurgaon before Games,” the chief minister said.
She mentioned the improvement in the performance of government schoolchildren in the board examinations and the setting up of three new universities — Ambedkar University, Delhi Technological University and Law College University — as proof of her government’s commitment to education. Calling Delhi the hub of medical tourism, she talked about the 150 new modern ambulances that her government is in process of procuring. She also promised a power surplus by the Games when the projected demands is 4450 MW and the projected generation is 6,436 MW.