Latest news with #DelhiKoKoodeSeAzaadi
News18
7 days ago
- Politics
- News18
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta participates in cleanliness drive in Timarpur area
New Delhi [India], August 5 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta actively participated in a cleanliness drive in Timarpur area on Tuesday, encouraging citizens to maintain hygiene. Speaking to the media, CM Gupta said, 'Cleanliness drives are being carried out at various places in Delhi. I am very happy that Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), social and religious bodies and elected representatives are taking part in these cleanliness drives across the city. If every person thinks of maintaining the city clean as their own responsibility, then Delhi will become clean and beautiful…All concerned agencies have been asked to work towards making Delhi a clean city." She further said that the MLA from Timarpur, Surya Prakash Khatri, and Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh were also present. She interacted with the residents August 1, Delhi CM launched 'Delhi Ko Koode Se Azaadi' campaign and took part in the cleanliness drive and cleaned piles of waste at the Women and Child Development (WCD) Office, ISBT Kashmere Gate in criticised the previous AAP government for claiming to improve the system in Delhi but failing to do so.'I am in so much pain that I cannot tell you. These are the offices which claim to improve the system of Delhi. Considering the state of previous governments, under these circumstances, what can our officers do to benefit anyone…Water is dripping…This building caught fire in 2021, despite the fact that this building was not repaired or cleaned. Have these officers been kept here to lose their lives?" she told that it's her first visit to the WCD office, Gupta said, 'This is my first visit here, but seeing the wretched condition of such important committees/departments where there is no cupboard to keep papers, no chair, and one never knows when the fan would fall from the top. Cleaning orders are one thing we can do. They will be completed if everyone gets involved. However, seeing our officers working in such poor conditions is really painful for me."She accused the previous AAP government of investing 70 crores to build their own 'Sheesh Mahals" and not spending any money on office improvements. Gupta said, 'They (AAP) didn't get time to invest in fixing offices but had 70 crores to build a sheesh mahal for themselves. If they had invested 2-4 crores here, then at least some offices would have been able to do well." (ANI)
Hindustan Times
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
CM Gupta announces new integrated Delhi govt secretariat
Chief minister Rekha Gupta announced on Friday that Delhi will get a modern and integrated secretariat bringing all departments under one roof, as many government offices are currently housed in dilapidated buildings. Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta sweeps the floor as part of 'Delhi Ko Koode Se Azadi' campaign in New Delhi on August 1. (@gupta_rekha) Gupta made the announcement while launching the 'Delhi Ko Koode Se Azaadi' campaign from the premises of the department of women and child development at Kashmere Gate in north Delhi, where she expressed displeasure over the office's poor condition and said it deeply distressed her. 'It is shocking how officials entrusted with ensuring good governance in Delhi can work effectively in such deplorable circumstances. The ceilings are leaking, the furniture is broken, there are no proper chairs to sit on, cupboards are damaged, and the fans could fall at any moment,' Gupta said, adding that the building has still not been fully repaired after a fire incident in 2021. 'Are we forcing our officials to work while putting their lives at risk?' she asked. The chief minister's office did not share details about when and where the new integrated secretariat will be constructed and what use the current office premises will be put to. 'A suitable location will be identified where the new Delhi secretariat can be established, enabling all departments to function under one roof. We cannot leave our officials to work in miserable conditions any longer,' Gupta said. Gupta and her cabinet colleagues, the chief secretary and several top government officials currently work at the Players' Building popularly known as the Delhi Secretariat. The building does not have the space to accommodate all senior officials of the Delhi government, so many offices such as that of the revenue commissioner, labour commissioner, GST commissioner, education secretary, transport commissioner, excise commissioner, and secretary food and civil supplies, are located in different locations such as Civil Lines and Kashmere Gate. The Delhi government had planned to build around 35-storey-tall twin towers at ITO in 2022 to consolidate government offices into a single, modern facility. The plans were shelved mainly due to bureaucratic delays, funding issues, and disagreements over project details, officials said. Concerns were also raised about the impact of the project on heritage buildings and the feasibility of demolishing existing structures such as Vikas Bhawan 1, MSO Building, and GST Building. Administrative and political challenges also slowed down approvals and decision-making, delaying the project. Gupta criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which was in power in Delhi in 2022, for not building a modern building for government offices. 'Those who called themselves an 'educated government' were busy building lavish offices for themselves, but failed to provide even basic facilities essential for the working of our officials. The ones who spent ₹70 crore on their own office couldn't spend even a few crores on these departments,' she said. In response, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj said, 'The chief minister and the BJP should understand that governance is not event management. She should know that Delhi can only be kept clean if MCD hires an adequate number of sanitation workers to clean the city on a daily basis. These month-long drives are merely temporary measures that may clean a road once a year. Sanitation is not an event—it is a continuous responsibility. The city needs to be cleaned every day. One cannot expect a Yamuna ghat to be cleaned once a year and then remain neglected. So, the Delhi Government and the BJP-ruled MCD must focus on serious, sustained governance.' CM begins cleaning drive with govt offices; slums, ghats next Chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday launched a month-long sanitation campaign titled 'Delhi Ko Koode Se Azaadi', aiming to make the national capital clean, green, and free from waste by August 31. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship sanitation campaign, Gupta's campaign for Delhi seeks to involve multiple agencies and the people to clean the city. Gupta visited the office of the women and child development department at Kashmere Gate in the morning, where she personally swept the premises, and picked trash to formally launch the drive. 'Cleanliness is not just a habit but a civic duty. Today, the responsibility to make Delhi clean, green, and beautiful lies with all of us. The campaign will give new momentum to the Swachh Bharat Mission and transform cleanliness into a mass movement involving all citizens,' Gupta said, calling on the people of Delhi to join the campaign and make their neighbourhoods clean. Gupta said the campaign is not limited to public spaces but extends to government offices and workplaces. 'Every MLA, councillor, and government employee in the capital is a responsible partner in this change,' she said. The campaign will begin with a focus on cleaning government offices, schools, and hospitals during the first two days. Special drives will target unauthorised colonies and slum clusters every weekend, with dedicated cleanliness activities planned at the Yamuna Ghats on August 14, 21, and 28. The Ring Road area will undergo intensive cleaning on August 29 and 31. MCD has been allocated a budget of ₹5 crore to support the campaign, officials said. To encourage community participation, high-performing Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) will be rewarded with cash prizes — ₹25 lakh for first place, ₹15 lakh for second, and ₹10 lakh for third. 'In this one month, together we will clean every street, every colony, every market, and every public space. We will remove garbage, increase greenery, and make cleanliness a permanent habit,' Gupta said.
Time of India
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
All govt depts under one roof: Plan on for new secretariat bldg
New Delhi: Expressing displeasure over the dilapidated condition of the office of the department of women and child development at Kashmere Gate ISBT, chief minister Rekha Gupta on Friday said it was time that a new, well-organised and integrated secretariat was constructed in Delhi for all govt departments. A suitable location will be identified where the new Delhi secretariat can be set up, enabling all departments to function under one roof, she added. Gupta made the statement at the launch of the 'Delhi Ko Koode Se Azaadi' campaign from the premises of the WCD department. "It is shocking to think how these officials, who are entrusted with ensuring good governance in Delhi, can work effectively in such deplorable circumstances. The ceilings are leaking, the furniture is broken, there are no proper chairs to sit on, cupboards are damaged, and the fans are in such poor condition that they could fall at any moment," she observed. She also expressed concern that the building, which suffered a fire in 2021, has still not been fully repaired to date. "Are we forcing our officials to work while putting their lives at risk?" she asked. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi Taking a dig at the previous govt, she said, "Those who called themselves an educated govt were busy building lavish offices for themselves but failed to provide basic facilities essential for the working of our officials. The ones who spent Rs 70 crore on their own office couldn't spend even a few crores on these departments. MCD launches citywide cleanliness campaign Over 15 major garbage-prone points across eight wards of south Delhi were cleaned as part of the civic body's mega sanitation campaign. These included a 3 km stretch of Aurobindo Marg, IIT crossing, Lado Sarai Chowk, SSN Marg, and the road up to Radha Soami Satsang Beas in Bhati. Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh, along with MCD commissioner Ashwani Kumar and MLAs Satish Upadhyay and Gajendra Singh Yadav, picked up brooms to sweep roads and lift garbage as they walked along the major garbage points. They were joined by hundreds of people from residents' welfare associations, market associations, NGOs, institutions, temples and religious organisations for a four-hour-long cleanliness drive covering over a 10 km stretch from Green Park to IIT, Mehrauli, Chattarpur and Bhatti mines. The mayor said that the drive would cover intensive cleanliness operations in residential colonies, markets, industrial areas, schools, colleges, slum clusters, public toilets and other public spaces. Later in the day, Singh also visited the legal department on the 17th floor of Civic Centre and took part in removing old files and electronic waste. In Karol Bagh, Civil Lines and Rohini zones—at least 180 metric tonnes of waste was collected along the railway track covering. Earlier, the civic body had signed an MoU with Northern Railway for cleaning and lifting garbage along the railway tracks and neighbouring areas.
Indian Express
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Delhi govt to scout site for new Secretariat, bring all depts under one roof: CM
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced on Friday that the Delhi government will identify locations to build a new Secretariat, allowing all departments to operate under one roof. While launching the 'Delhi Ko Koode Se Azaadi' campaign from the premises of the Women and Child Development (WCD) department at Kashmere Gate, Gupta expressed displeasure over the dilapidated condition of the office. 'Witnessing the state of the building has left me extremely distressed. The time has come to construct a new, well-organised, and integrated Secretariat for all departments of Delhi,' she said. 'We will take steps in this direction starting today. A suitable location will be identified where the new Delhi Secretariat can be established, enabling all departments to function under one roof. We cannot leave our officials to work in such miserable conditions any longer,' she added. Currently, the CM, ministers, and top bureaucrats handling charges of departments like Finance, Transport, Environment, Home, Education, and others, operate from the Secretariat located near Indira Gandhi Stadium in Indraprastha Estate. It was called the Players' Building and was built as a hotel to accommodate the players participating in the 1982 Asian Games. The building was found to be 'seismically unsafe' in 2023 in a study conducted by the PWD. Looking at the condition of the WCD office, Gupta said, 'It is shocking to think how officials entrusted with ensuring good governance in Delhi can work effectively in such deplorable circumstances. The ceilings are leaking, the furniture is broken, there are no proper chairs to sit on, cupboards are damaged, and the fans are in such poor condition that they could fall at any moment.' She expressed concern that the building, which suffered a fire in 2021, has still not been fully repaired to date. 'Are we forcing our officials to work while putting their lives at risk?' she asked. Attacking the AAP government, Gupta said, 'Those who called themselves an educated government were busy building lavish offices for themselves, but failed to provide even basic facilities essential for the working of our officials. The ones who spent Rs 70 crore on their own office couldn't spend even a few crores on these departments.' The AAP government had proposed to build a new secretariat in 2021. It had proposed to demolish the PWD and GST buildings as well as Vikas Sadan at ITO and construct twin 35-storey towers. The PWD had issued a tender in December 2021 to hire a consultant, but the project, estimated to cost around Rs 1,200 crore, did not take off. In 2024, the PWD had again come up with a draft proposal and an architectural plan and sent the file to former chief minister and PWD minister Atishi, but the project remained on paper. Sources said that a few months ago, PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh reviewed the files related to the twin tower project.
