CM Kejriwal highlights Delhi's 'zero-corruption' model in Assembly

The Delhi model has given a hope to the country, he asserted, and explained that the model means -- free and good education, medical treatment, free electricity and water.Kejriwal said Delhi was earlier known for CWG scam and CNG kit scam but now its known for excellent schools and hospitals.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the Delhi model of governance is a zero-corruption model and asserted that the AAP government has achieved twice as much in eight years than what was done by other political parties in the last 65 years. Speaking in the Delhi Assembly, Kejriwal also took a dig at BJP MLAs and said the universe came into being in 2014, when their party came to power at the Centre.

Kejriwal hit out at the BJP-led central government, saying there is an educated government in Delhi, while there is an ''illiterate government'' at the Centre.

He said the leadership needs to be educated as administration has become complicated these days and it becomes very difficult to run a government if you are less educated. As Kejriwal was listing out his government's achievements such as the purchase of electric buses, some BJP MLAs interjected and cited the Centre's role in the development of the national capital.

In response, Kejriwal said sarcastically, ''The universe came into being after 2014. The sun and the moon are there because of you. It's all because of you.'' As soon as Kejriwal said his government has done a lot for the education of children, other AAP MLAs sarcastically said something should also be done for the education of elders as well, in an apparent dig at BJP MLAs.

Laughing it off, Kejriwal said, ''I would like to tell Education minister Atishi to do something for adult literacy.'' Listing the achievements of the Aam Aadmi Party government, he said Delhi is fast becoming the best livable city in the country. The Delhi model has given a hope to the country, he asserted, and explained that the model means -- free and good education, medical treatment, free electricity and water.

Kejriwal said Delhi was earlier known for CWG scam and CNG kit scam but now it's known for excellent schools and hospitals. ''Delhi model is zero-corruption model.... Delhi has the least inflation in the country. Delhi model is arranging world-class health, transport, 24x7 electricity and water supply and creating a clean and modern city. ''It's a model of all including Hindus, Muslims, all castes, men and women. In 75 years, people have not seen such a model,'' he said.

''They exhausted all their resources in saying that there is excise scam but people are not accepting what they (BJP) are saying. We have done twice as much work in eight years as was done in the last 65 years,'' he said.

The chief minister said despite providing free electricity, water, ration, bus journeys to women, the government was presenting a budget that did not have debts. Citing an example, he said 193 kilometre metro line and 143 stations were constructed between 1998 and 2015 but during his government, since 2015, 390 km-long metro was constructed and 286 stations came up.

''There are very few cities in the world that offer free transport services to women and Delhi is one of them. In last three years, 100 crore free bus rides were availed. In 65 years, 5865 buses arrived in Delhi, while today there are 7,379 buses. Delhi has the highest electric vehicles,'' he said.

Attacking the Centre, Kejriwal said there is an educated government in Delhi, while there is an ''illiterate government'' at the Centre.

In a sarcastic poetic turn, he said in Hindi: ''Pakoda will be fried, tea will be brewed. Let schools, hospitals be damned. Mann ki Baat with common man, money talk with one's brother. Look at the game of power, the honest are behind bars.'' He also elaborated on various programmes of the government and said Delhi was breathing clean air and had the highest forest cover due to their efforts. He said his government will be building three double-decker flyovers, and have 80 per cent of its bus fleet electric by 2025. Listing out the budget announcements, he said Rs 21,000 crores will be spent on infrastructure and 1400 km of PWD roads will be beautified.

''The AAP government is committed to provide clean tap water to every household. We will start producing 1240 MGD water by 2025.

''We will install water flow metres at every water treatment plant, primary-secondary UGRs and every tapping to trace water usage on daily basis,'' he said.

Attacking the BJP, he said when the saffron party was running MCD, Delhi was ranked the most polluted city in the cleanliness survey, but now AAP will make Delhi the cleanest city in the next few years and even surpass Indore.

After his address in the House, Kejriwal told reporters, ''I believe, the leadership needs to be educated. The prime minister has said it several times that he had done high school only and did not go to the college. ''These days administration has become so complicated that if you are uneducated or less educated, it becomes very difficult for you to run the government. The officers make you sign the files you have no idea about.'' Citing the demonetisation decision, he said the whole country faced its consequences. ''There would be no demonetisation decision, if there were an educated prime minister. Nobody knows who asked him and he did not understood and implemented demonetisation decision.

''He enacted three farm laws which were being said to have adverse effect on the farmers and the country. He could not understand. Nobody knows who fills his ears and he does not understand because he is less educated and the country faces its consequences,'' he claimed.

Kejriwal said there are ''often statements by him like -- the gas from drains could be used to cook tea and food, and that radar can not detect a plane if hidden behind the clouds -- that no educated person can make''.

''Many foreign leaders come and nobody knows what files they get signed by him. It is very important for the country to have an educated leadership,'' he opined.