Page 6 - Aap Government

Aldermen can vote in Delhi mayoral polls, says MCD presiding officer

The municipal House witnessed an uproar on Monday after Presiding Officer Satya Sharma announced that the nominated members will also be allowed to vote in the elections for mayor, deputy mayor and Standing Committee members. Soon after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House assembled around 11:30 am, after a delay of half an hour, she announced that elections to the posts of mayor, deputy mayor and Standing Committee members would be held simultaneously. "Aldermen will be allowed to vote in the elections for mayor, deputy mayor and Standing Committee members," Sharma said. The announcement drew protests from AAP councillors. Party leader Mukesh Goel said aldermen can't vote. To this, Sharma said, "People have sent you here to serve them, let the election be held." Following this, the House was adjourned briefly. This is the third session of the House after the December 4 municipal polls. The first two sessions -- held on January 6 and January 24 -- were adjourned by the

After 2 failed attempts to elect Delhi mayor, House to convene Monday

The Delhi municipal House is set to convene on Monday to elect a mayor for the city after failing to complete the poll in two previous attempts. As per the DMC Act 1957, the mayor and the deputy mayor are to elected in the very first House that convenes after the civic polls. However, it's been two months since the municipal elections were held, and Delhi is still to get a mayor. The first two sessions -- held on January 6 and January 24 -- were adjourned by the presiding pfficer without electing a mayor following a ruckus and acrimonious exchanges among the members of the BJP and the AAP. While the first session of the 250-member House after the December 4 poll went fully in vain, in the second session, the nominated members followed by elected members took oath. After the oath-taking exercise, the second municipal House was adjourned till the next date by Presiding Officer and BJP councillor Satya Sharma. While BJP members had walked out of chamber shouting anti-AAP and anti-Arv

BJP govt at Centre fighting with everyone, alleges Delhi CM Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday accused the BJP government at the Centre of "fighting with everyone", including states, judges, farmers as well as traders. Citing a news report on the Collegium system of appointment of judges becoming a major flashpoint between the Supreme Court and the Centre, Kejriwal advised the Narendra Modi government not to meddle in others' work. "Why does the central government fight with everyone? With judges, Supreme Court, state governments, farmers and traders? The country will not progress by quarrelling with everyone. Do your job and let others do theirs. Don't interfere in other's work," Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi. The AAP government in Delhi is involved in a running battle with the Centre-appointed Lt Governor over a range of governance and jurisdiction-related matters. Last month, Kejriwal along with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MLAs marched to Raj Niwas over an alleged delay in approving his government's ...

Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab cabinet nod to scheme to train teachers abroad

The Punjab Cabinet on Friday gave its nod to the implementation of a scheme for training of teachers abroad. Under this scheme, the Department of School Education will send a batch of 36 principals to the Principals Academy in Singapore and 30 principals to the National Institute of Education, an autonomous institute of the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in FY 2022-23, according to an official statement. "The training will expose them to state-of-the-art teaching practices, leadership skills, creation of teaching-learning materials and audio-visual technology," it said. "It will be helpful to obtain objectives of education in the post-pandemic world, essentials of strategic management, shaping school culture, building teachers' professional capital, curriculum leadership, mentoring, and lesson observation skills, innovation in teaching and learning and effective communication," the statement added. The Cabinet met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Bhagwant

AAP alleges MCD passed civic body budget without keeping it in loop

The Aam Aadmi Party Friday alleged that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) budget was passed by the civic body without keeping the ruling party in the loop. No reaction to the allegation was immediately available from the civic body officials. AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed that they learnt through newspaper reports that the budget had been passed by the MCD and since this was the objective, the elections of the mayor and deputy mayor were deliberately delayed. "It is a dangerous trend. The AAP, which came to power in the MCD, was not informed that the budget has been passed by the officers. This is wrongdoing," he claimed. The AAP won 134 wards in the MCD polls in December while the BJP won 104 wards. "The AAP has always kept the promises made in its manifesto. The budget is prepared by them and the job will be ours to work according to it. This is wrong," Bhardwaj said. The mayoral election is the first item on the agenda for the municipal House slated to

Groundwater charges set to be levied on non-exempted users in Punjab

Charges for extracting ground water in Punjab will be levied on all non-exempted users, including the industry, starting next month, with the state water regulation and development authority notifying directions in this regard. The new directions, however, do not cover groundwater use for agriculture, drinking and domestic purposes, said an official statement here, adding that the Punjab Water Regulation and Development Authority (PWRDA) has notified Punjab Groundwater Extraction and Conservation Directions, 2023. The directions also exempt government water supply schemes, military and central paramilitary establishments, urban local bodies, panchayati raj institutions, cantonment boards, improvement trusts, area development authorities and places of worship, it further said. The exemption has also been provided to all users who extract groundwater less than 300 cubic metres per month, it added. All non-exempted users shall have to submit an application to the authority for seeking

AAP govt's project to transform 1,400-km Delhi roads to kick off from Apr 1

Repairing broken pavements, central verges and manholes, resurfacing roads and sprinkling of water on them on a daily basis -- these are some of initiatives that will be undertaken as part of the Delhi government's mega project to transform the city roads that will kick off from April 1. Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said about Rs 4,500 crore will be spent on the project in the first year and then Rs 2,000 crore every year. The Delhi government will also introduce deep scrubbing machines and litter picker machines, he said, adding that it will also hire over 100 mechanised road sweepers, over 150 sprinkler tankers and 250 anti-smog-guns-cum-sprinklers. The chief minister said they will be transforming a total of 1,400 kms of roads that come under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Public Works Department. He added that heavy penalties will be imposed on the contractor in case of any shortcoming in the project. The entire system will be monitored remotely

Mayoral elections: SC to list for hearing AAP candidate's petition on Feb 3

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to list for hearing on February 3 a plea of Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) mayoral candidate Shelly Oberoi seeking directions to ensure mayoral election in Delhi in a time-bound manner. A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud took note of the submissions of the lawyer on early holding of the mayoral poll for MCD. It will be listed on February 3, the CJI said. The mayoral election in the national capital was stalled on Tuesday last for the second time this month as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House was adjourned indefinitely by the lieutenant governor-appointed presiding officer, following a ruckus created by some councillors.

AAP misleading people, has no faith in Constitution, alleges Delhi BJP

Delhi BJP's working president Virendra Sachdeva reacted sharply to Aam Aadmi Party's move to approach the Supreme Court over the repeated adjournments of mayoral polls for MCD

AAP moves SC seeking mayoral polls in Delhi, barring aldermen from voting

The Aam Aadmi Party has moved the Supreme Court over the repeated adjournments of mayoral polls in Delhi

Amid tussle, Delhi LG invites CM Kejriwal, ministers and MLAs for meeting

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has invited Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his ministers and 10 AAP MLAs for a meeting with him at the Raj Niwas here Friday evening, amid the ongoing tussle between the elected government and the LG office. The chief minister has been asked to come to the meeting alongwith his Cabinet colleagues and any 10 MLAs of his Aam Aadmi Party at 4 pm, Raj Niwas officials said on Thursday. The two sides have been at loggerheads over multiple issues including a Delhi government proposal to send its teachers for training in Finland. On January 16, Kejriwal and his party MLAs had marched from the Vidhan Sabha to Raj Niwas to meet Saxena over the teachers' training proposal. The chief minister returned after waiting for nearly an hour, claiming the LG refused to meet him, his deputy Manish Sisodia and AAP MLAs. Saxena denied the charge in a letter he wrote to Kejriwal days later, saying the chief minister insisted for a meeting which would be attended by a

Aam Aadmi clinics in Punjab are political gimmickry: BJP's Tarun Chugh

Chugh claimed that the entire state "knows that the health dispensaries and mini hospitals are being converted into Aam Aadmi clinics for political reasons"

AAP to launch foray into Cong-ruled Rajasthan with massive membership drive

The AAP is set to roll out a massive membership drive in Congress-ruled Rajasthan on Friday as part of its preparations for the assembly polls, likely to be held later this year. The membership drive will be launched in Jaipur by AAP National General Secretary (Organisation) Sandeep Pathak. Vinay Mishra, the AAP's election in-charge for Rajasthan, will also be present. "The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) National General Secretary Sandeep Pathak and Rajasthan Election In-charge Vinay Mishra will launch a massive membership drive in Rajasthan on January 27," a senior AAP leader told PTI. The membership drive will be rolled out at Biyani Group of College in Jaipur, the AAP leader said. "All the leaders and workers of the AAP's Rajasthan unit will be present on the occasion," the leader added. The move comes within a month of AAP poll strategist Pathak, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, holding a crucial meeting with the party's Rajasthan unit leaders and volunteers in the national capital. Du

Delhi L-G making mockery of democracy by refusing to meet CM, MLAs: AAP

The Delhi-ruling AAP said on Saturday that Lt Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena is making mockery of democracy by refusing to meet Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the elected MLAs

AAP, BJP hold protests in Delhi Assembly premises over various issues

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

LG not my headmaster, people have elected me CM, says Arvind Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday alleged that Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena suffers from a "feudal mindset" and does not want good education for poor children in the city. Addressing the Delhi Assembly on the issue of the LG's alleged interference in his government's work, Kejriwal said, "Not even my teachers checked my homework as the LG scrutinises my files." "The LG is not my headmaster. People have elected me as chief minister," he said. Kejriwal further claimed the LG told him during a meeting that the BJP won 104 seats in the MCD polls because of him and that the saffron party would win all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi in the next general elections. The chief minister alleged that the LG "suffered from a feudal mindset and doesn't want that the poor children in Delhi get good education". "Who is LG, where has he come from? He is sitting on our heads. Will he decide where we should send our children to study? Our country is lagging because of such people

Services row: Centre raises issue of protest by AAP MLAs against Delhi Gov

The Centre on Tuesday raised in the Supreme Court the protest held by AAP MLAs against alleged interferences by the lieutenant governor's office in the Delhi government's works and termed the demonstration as "undesirable". The moment a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud assembled to hear the vexatious Centre-Delhi government row over control of services, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the central government, raised the issue of the protest. On Monday, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs marched to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) office to protest against its alleged interferences in the elected government's functioning. "There is one caveat. I would confine myself to the legal submissions only. While I say this, certain events are happening in the national capital while your Lordships are in midst of the matter. Some protests are being held," the law officer said at the outset of the proceedings. He termed

Delhi Assembly adjourned for the day after AAP protest against LG Saxena

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 ...

Punjab govt has collapsed, AAP CM Bhagwant Mann should resign: BJP leader

Reacting to the decision of the Punjab Civil Services officers' going on a week-long strike, Chugh said it reflected seriously how the AAP government had collapsed in the border state

Do not want to repeat 2013 mistake by supporting AAP in mayoral polls: Cong

'The ruckus witnessed at the Civic Centre when the Mayoral election was set to take place was very shameful as both the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party councillors betrayed the confidence of the people'