Delhi Assembly

The Delhi government has set a target of planting 20 lakh flowering saplings in the national capital as part of its preparations for the G20 Summit slated to be held in September. Of these, the forest and wildlife department will plant 12 lakh saplings and other agencies the rest. A forest department official said flowering species such as jacaranda and palas will be planted in large numbers. The entire exercise will be completed by July end. Over 10 lakh exotic potted plants will also add to the beauty of the national capital as it gets ready to host the G20 Summit, officials said. The horticulture wings of the central and Delhi government departments, including the Delhi Development Department, New Delhi Municipal Council, Public Works Department and Municipal Corporation of Delhi, have been asked to decorate public spaces, roundabouts, major intersections, flyovers and vertical greens in the city with exotic flowering plants. Special attention will be given to the stretch betwe

The Delhi High Court has asked the city government to ensure supply of clean and hygienic milk to citizens and see to it that cattle do not feed on garbage as it can have a detrimental effect the quality of milk and those who consume it. The order by a bench headed by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma came on a petition by a lawyer seeking directions to the authorities to take all measures for ensuring clean and hygienic milk for the people of Delhi. The Delhi government counsel said adequate steps were being taken to ensure supply of clean and hygienic milk to city residents and proper regulations were already in place. He further said if the petitioner files a representation with the authorities about her grievances, it will be considered in accordance with law. Observing that "no further orders are required to be passed" in the matter in view of the stand of the government, the court said the petitioner is at liberty to file a representation before the authorities. "The State

Liquor shops in Delhi have limited stocking space, and a low number of shops in the city naturally means a low total stock holding

Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on Monday claimed in the budget session that attempts were being made to further "restrict" the legislative body's limited financial autonomy through appointment of city government's Law secretary as its administrative head. Goel made the remark after the House passed Delhi government's budget 2023-24 following a discussion, and asked the Finance minister to look into the matter. Reading out a statement, Goel said the Finance Department of Delhi government has in a recent letter said the law department will be the administrative head of the legislative assembly. "It is a direct attack on the legislature and a clear effort to curb its independent functioning," Goel said in the statement in Hindi. He charged the development was a "conspiracy" by the officers to "obstruct" the functioning of the Assembly due to politics. He said according to the Constitution, the Parliament and state legislatures should have an independent Secretariat with financ

A 'mohalla bus' scheme to ensure last mile-connectivity and development of three ISBTs with airport-like facilities were some of the key announcements made by Delhi Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot for the transport sector in the city budget on Wednesday. Presenting his first budget, Gahlot announced an allocation of over Rs 9,000 crore for the transport sector. Gahlot, who also holds the Transport portfolio, said a bus fleet comprising 10,480 buses will be ready in Delhi by 2025. The city currently has 7,319 buses. "Eighty per cent of these will be electric buses. A dedicated 'mohalla bus' scheme will be launched for last-mile connectivity in the city. As part of the scheme, 100 'mohalla' e-buses will be launched in 2023-24, while 2,180 will be inducted in next two years," he said. According to the government, this is the first time in Delhi that electric feeder buses will be plying in remote areas. "The anticipated expenditure for this massive induction plan of electric buses ove

Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot on Wednesday presented a Rs 78,800 crore budget in the Delhi Assembly for the financial year 2023-24. The Delhi government's budget size for 2022-23 was Rs 75,800 crore and Rs 69,000 crore in the previous year. This was the first time that Gahlot presented the budget after getting charge of the finance department following the resignation of deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia who was arrested by the CBI in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case. "I would have been happier if it this budget was presented by Manish Sisodia who is like my elder brother. The budget is an expression of expectations and aspirations of the people," Gahlot said in his budget speech. The minister said the budget is dedicated to a clean, beautiful and modern Delhi. This is the ninth consecutive budget of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. "Every possible help will be given to the MCD to remove the three mountains of garbage in Delhi. We will connect all colon

Delhi Assembly's budget session will be convened from March 17 and the budget will be presented on March 21, officials said on Sunday. This will be the first time since AAP came to power in Delhi in 2015 that the budget will not be presented by senior party leader and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who held the finance portfolio. The budget, this year, will be presented by Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot, who has been handed over the reins of the finance department following Sisodia's arrest in the excise policy case on February 26 and his resignation from the cabinet. After getting the finance portfolio, Gahlot has held several meetings with the ministry officials. Even before Sisodia's arrest, Gahlot was part of the budget-related meetings. "The budget session of the Delhi Assembly will commence on March 17 and the budget will be presented on March 21," said an official. The session will begin with Lt Governor VK Saxena's address. The 2022-23 budget was presented

The Delhi Assembly, on the last day of the Winter Session on Thursday, approved a supplementary grant of Rs 1,028 crore for cleaning the Yamuna and for the Delhi Jal Board

The Delhi Assembly on Thursday approved a supplementary grant of Rs 1,028 crore for the Delhi Jal Board and to speed up work for cleaning the Yamuna.

Ruling AAP and opposition BJP MLAs staged protest in Delhi Assembly premises on Thursday over various issues

"The contractors collect the money from staffs. I complained to the DCP, CS and L-G. Despite the complaint, no action has been taken so far"

BJP MLAs on Wednesday held a protest outside the Delhi Assembly over the issue of pollution in Yamuna river. Carrying bottles filled with ''heavily polluted" Yamuna water, the BJP leaders said they will raise the issue inside the House. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said supply of dirty water from Yamuna was harming the health of the people. "It is causing cancer and damaging kidney and liver as well as leading to other ailments. The Modi government has provided the AAP government Rs 2,500 crore for cleaning Yamuna," he said. "We want to ask Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal where did this money go because a report of his own government has said that Yamuna has been polluted 200 per cent more in the eight years of AAP rule," he said. Bidhuri said the issue will be raised in the Assembly and if it is not debated upon, they will stage further protests over the issue. "A notice has been given for a debate over the issue. If the government runs away from

BJP MLAs on Tuesday wore black clothes and turbans to the Delhi assembly to protest against alleged corruption and scams of the AAP government and demanded that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resign from the post. BJP member Ajay Mahawar alleged corruption in the purchase of buses, excise policy and the working of the Delhi Jal Board. He said the "dishonest" government of Kejriwal is shielding Manish Sisodia, who is "accused of gross corruption", while one of his ministers, Satyendar Jain, is in jail on corruption charges. This is the second day of the three-day session of the assembly that started on Monday. "We are against the corrupt government of Delhi. Scam in making classrooms, in buses and in liquor policy, overall this government is only doing corruption and the chief minister should resign. We demand that he should be removed. We are wearing black clothes to mark our protest against this corrupt government," BJP MLA Vijender Gupta said. On Monday, amid protest by MLAs of

The Delhi assembly was adjourned for the day, amid protest by MLAs of the ruling AAP against Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena's alleged interference in the working of the city government. The assembly saw repeated adjournments on the first day of its three-day session and hardly 10 minutes of proceedings could be held. The House was first adjourned for 10 minutes following a war of words between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and BJP members over alleged interference of Saxena in the working of the city government. AAP legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj had initiated a discussion on calling attention motion on the issue of "Illegal and unwanted obstructions and interferences in the education of children and training of teachers". After the House reconvened, AAP MLAs again started raising slogans against the lieutenant governor over his "objections" to sending Delhi government teachers for a training programme to Finland, following which the speaker again adjourned the House for half an ...

There is a possibility of discussion on the issue that the elected government should retain the right to give orders to the officials for development works in Delhi

The Delhi Assembly's Petitions Committee on Wednesday accused the city government's Finance department of creating roadblocks in implementing pro-people welfare projects, such as Yamuna cleaning, laying of water pipelines and disbursal of pension to the elderly. Committee member Saurabh Bhardwaj said data entry operators engaged in hospitals for years had been sacked after the Finance department impeded the disbursal of their salaries. Government healthcare facilities have been working without them for six months, he said. Funds for the Delhi Jal Board have been frivolously withheld for the last six months, derailing essential projects such as cleaning of the Yamuna, drinking water pipelines and laying sewerage lines. Within the Social Welfare department, objections are repeatedly raised by the Finance department on pension of the elderly, due to which they have to wait for months for pension, Bhardwaj as quoted was saying in a statement. "The Finance department of the Delhi ...

Latest stage imposed when air quality touched 'severe' levels with the overall AQI reaching 400 at 12:10 a.m. on Saturday

The AAP also accused Delhi L-G Vinay Kumar Saxena of the Rs 1400 crore scam when he was the President of Khadi Gramodyog

Three BJP MLAs were on Thursday marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly for the entire session following an argument with Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla who did not heed their demand to take up their calling attention notices before a discussion on the no-confidence motion. The rest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs walked out of the House soon after. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had brought in the no-confidence motion on Monday to show that the alleged "Operation Lotus" of the BJP had failed in Delhi. Birla said no calling attention notice will be taken up till the no-confidence motion is debated and voted on. Opposing it, Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri said there are a lot of issues to be discussed in the assembly -- "there is shortage of drinking water, Delhi is the world's most polluted capital...there are health-related problems". He said there was no need to enact a "drama" to prove Arvind Kejriwal enjoys the support of his MLAs. Birla said no-confidence

Delhi Assembly proceedings were adjourned till Thursday following slogan shouting by ruling AAP MLAs who demanded a CBI probe into the alleged "Operation Lotus" by the BJP. As soon as the House assembled for a discussion on the confidence motion on Wednesday, BJP MLA Vijender Gupta asked Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla to take up his calling attention motion, even as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Atishi tried to raise the issue of alleged "Operation Lotus" of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Members of both sides shouted slogans, prompting Birla to adjourn the House till 11.30 am. Gupta's calling attention motion concerned alleged corruption in the construction of classrooms in Delhi government schools. When the House reconvened, Gupta asked Birla under which rule she allowed Atishi to make a statement on issues other than the no-confidence motion. Atishi alleged that the BJP is an "anti-women party as its members do not allow a woman to speak while another woman is in the chair". She al