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There have been many arguments both for and against the World Culture Festival 2016 being conducted on the Yamuna plains. The National Green Tribunal alleges that the event has destroyed the river and the environment.Let us go through a detailed analysis of the various important claims put out by the National Green Tribunal’s (to be referred as NGT hereafter) Expert Committee alleging damage to the Yamuna Floodplains post the World Culture Festival, 2016 conducted by the Art of Living Foundation.I would like to present before the readers a statistically unbiased and scientifically backed representation of this case which is currently sub-judice.Land Description:Before we go further, it is essential that we first geographically define the area over which the World Culture Festival was conducted (From 11th March –13th March 2016)The land parcel is a finite piece of land over the Yamuna floodplain bound by the DND Flyover to its South; Barapulla Drain to its North;River Yamuna to its East and Ring Road to its West.Area ~ 25 hectaresCan be located on WGS (World Geodetic System) 84 coordinates 24 deg 34’55’’N and 77 deg 16’43’’EHere is the detailed image categorically bifurcating the various land sites w.r.t it’s usage for the event(Source: Google Earth, 15th of March ,2016)2. It is very essential to draw the following conclusions from the above satellite images:3-Permanently ramps existed since 2008 (Having bituminous pavement,with potholes and degenerating bituminous overlay).7-Area marked by the purple region previously had mounts of construction waste (malba) solid waste,which has been cleared for the WCF 2016 event by the Art of Living foundation at its own expense.8-Unpaved earthen road running parallel to the Barapullah drain,which is in existence at least since the year 2000,used for vehicles and earth-movers engaged in drain cleaning and slit removal in this section of Barapullah drain.The temporary installations and the make-shift stage are also clearly visible from the satellite imagery.Fig 1:Permanent Ramp 1 having bituminous pavement existed at least since Jan 2008Fig 2:Permanent Ramp 2 having bituminous pavement existed at least since Jan 2008Now, let us go and categorically visit each claim made by the NGTClaim 1: No permission sought from the NGT by the Art of Living Foundation before the eventFacts:The entire site belongs to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)Firstly,the NGT is a court,a tribunal and an autonomous institute, not a government agency to give permissions.Here is the official permission letter sought by the Art of Living (Vyakti Vikas Kendra India-Trust of the foundation) to use the land site for the event and it no where states that prior permission from the NGT needs to be sought.As you can see, the permission letter is approved by the Honorable L.G. of Delhi and duly signed by the Office of the Chief Engineer (E.P.)Mr.D.P.Singh of the DDA on 15th of December 2015.Apart from this, the Art of Living organization had taken permission from 20 various organizations and competent authorities (Government Bodies)The entire list of the government bodies is elucidated below:Central Public Works DepartmentDelhi Development AuthorityDelhi Fire ServiceDelhi Jal BoardDelhi PoliceDelhi Pollution Control CommitteeDelhi Traffic PoliceDepartment of Irrigation and Flood ControlDistrict Disaster Management AuthorityEast Delhi Municipal CorporationIndian ArmyIrrigation DepartmentMinistry of Environment and ForestsMinistry of External AffairsMinistry of Home AffairsNew Okhla Industrial Development AuthorityPublic Works Department-DelhiPublic Works Department-UPSouth Delhi Municipal CorporationUttar Pradesh Government2. Claim 2: Alleging the presence of wetlands on the eventFacts:To understand this point, we need to first comprehend the difference between a wetland and a floodplain.According to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands ,signed in 1971 (Iran) wetlands are defined as: "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres"(The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Number of Contracting Parties: 169)There are currently 26 Ramar sites in India which are enlisted below:Ashtamudi Wetland,KeralaBhoj Wetland,Madhya ParadeshChandertal Wetland,Himachal PradeshChilika Lake,OrissaDeepor Beel,AssamEast Calcutta Wetlands,West BengalHarike Lake,PunjabHokera Wetland,Jammu and KashmirKanjili,PunjabKeoladeo National Park,RajasthanKolleru Lake,Andhra PradeshLoktak Lake,ManipurNalsarovar,GujaratPoint Calimere Wildlife and Bird Santuary,Tamil NaduPong Dam Lake,Himachal PradeshRenuka Wetland,Himachal PradeshRopar,PunjabRudrasagar Lake,West Tripura DistrictSambhar Lake,RajasthanSasthamkotta Lake,KeralaSurinsar-Mansar Lake,Jammu and KashmirTsomoriri,Jammu and KashmirUpper Ganga River,Uttar PradeshVembanad-Kol Wetland,KeralaWular Lake,Jammu and KashmirBhitarkanika Mangroves,OrissaSo, according to the Ramsar sites (India being a signatory of the Ramsar convention) , the World Culture Festival venue does not come under the wetland category.Wetlands come under Ecologically Sensitive Zones are are protected areas by the government.Now,let us analyse the land area with respect to the Survey of India (The Survey of India is India's central engineering agency in charge of mapping and surveying) mapsHere is the Annexure -1B Portion of 1:25000 Scale Detailed Map of Delhi, published by the Survey of India in the year 1985,Under the direction of Major General Girish Chandra Aggarwal, Surveyor General of India; Titled-’Delhi Guide Map,Third Edition 1985′The map clearly depicts the WCF 2016 event site as an extremely flat “Point Bar” (floodplain deposit) without existence of any wetland or enclosed waterbody. The flatness of this land parcel is to the extent that contour indicating difference in height of the order of 100cm is also non-existent throughout the area.Another important point for record in this map is the existence of natural path of ‘Kushak River – Barapullah Drain’ prior to straightening of its channel traversing straight into River Yamuna and filling of its original channel. The map also depicts the situation prior to construction of Guide Bank and DND Flyway.Looking at the National Wetland Atlas (Published in March 2011 by the Space Application Centre,ISRO,Ahmedabad),it fails to indentify a single wetland on the event site.According to the National Geographic Society, floodplains are defined as “A flood plain (or floodplain) is a generally flat area of land next to a river or stream. It stretches from the banks of the river to the outer edges of the valley”A Floodplain does not require jurisdictions of the environmental authorities that a wetland does.Floodplains have a rich history of interacting with the society for civilizations to flourish.The first great civilizations all grew up in river valleys. The oldest, 3300 to 2500 BCE, was along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East; the name given to that civilization, Mesopotamia, means "land between the rivers". The Nile valley in Egypt had been home to agricultural settlements as early as 5500 BCE, but the growth of Egypt as a civilization began around 3100 BCE. A third civilization grew up along the Indus River around 2600 BCE, in parts of what are now India and Pakistan. The fourth great river civilization emerged around 1700 BCE along the Yellow River in China, also known as the Huang-He River Civilization.Many towns have been built across floodplains because of easy access to fresh water,the fertility of floodplain land for farming,cheap transportation, via rivers and railroads, which often followed rivers and ease of development of flat land.Large cultural and religious gatherings taking place on various floodplains across India like the Kumbh Mela and the Maramon Convention.The World Culture Festival venue was thus a floodplain and not a wetland as claimed by the Expert Committee of the NGT.3. Claim 3: Destroying the natural flow of the river YamunaFacts:A comparison of river morphology has been conducted on satellite images for the period between 22nd of December 2000 till 10th of May 2016.Fluvial Geo-morphology of the river (i.e. land form related to the river) and its floodplain (over which the event was organized) indicates continuity of a pattern in channel dimension, sedimentation,bank deposition,bank erosion and flow of the river.On a careful examinations of images between 26th August 2015(month of monsoon in Delhi) to 10th May 2016(Pre-Monsoon Dry Summer Season) no abnormality in the pattern of flow;channel dimension;riverbed;or morphology of both the banks has been noticed.Further,examination by ground verification in a series of field studies found no scientific acceptance of the above mentioned claim by the NGTHere are the satellite images taken that show the continuity of pattern of the river flow:Pic 1: 26th August 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 2: 29th October 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 3: 23rd November 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 4: 15th of December 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 5: 27th of February 2016 (Preparation for the event in progress;stage scaffoldings under construction)Pic 6: 15th of March 2016 (Post WCF, Pre-Monsoon)Pic 7: 25th of May 2016 (Depicting the entire area utilized by the World Culture Festival 2016,now evacuated,cleared and all the temporary installations removed)And as I write this answer now (13 th of May 2017, 15:39 hr), I have taken the snapshots from Google Earth of the venue and it is as it was before the event.The above images tell us that there is no change whatsoever in the natural river course of the Yamuna. This again proves the Expert Committee’s claims as false and unscientific.Selection Bias by the Expert Committee members?In the report,the expert committee have replied upon a singular satellite image for the event as opposed to a larger sample size covering pre-monsoon and post monsoon images for 15–20 years despite its availability to the public on Google Earth.The Expert Committee compared the satellite images of the venue dated 5th of Sept 2015 (Peak monsoon season) with that of a mid summer picture of March 2016, post the event (Summer pre-monsoon)It doesn’t take an Einstein to realize that such a comparison cannot be done in the first place.The Expert Committee is basically trying to attribute the negative effect of the lack of rain to the World Culture Festival !4. Claim 4: Destroying the reeds,grasses,natural vegetation on the river bed and the venueFacts:High pollution in the River Yamuna has led to a situation where dissolved oxygen tends to zero (often less than 1), high load of suspended particulate matter, high turbidity almost blocks the sunlight penetration in the water within few centimeters of vertical depth etc.All of the above factors collectively create a situation where no macro flora could grow or anchored within the riverbed of the Yamuna.Reeds and grasses could only grow beyond the riverbed in the riparian zone of the floodplain.The images of the last 15 years,indicate that the floodplain around the venue had some strips and patches of reeds. Those patches have been compared with the images after the event and on a comparison of images, no change in area covered by reeds has been observed.Riparian reeds along the Barapullah drain and small patches behind and in front of the guide bank (near the bridge of DND flyway) are unaltered before , during and the period post the event.Also the number of trees before and after the event were counted using high risk satellite images and they were found to be the same.Pic 1: Regrowth of grasses on over the location where once the stage was raised (17th of April 2016)Pic 2: State of grasses on the event venue (17th of April 2016)Pic 3: Undisturbed riparian reeds along the abandoned channel in front of the Guide Bank (17th of April 2016)Pic 4: Undisturbed riparian reeds along the Barapullah Drain (17th of April 2016)Also, another important to note that the Expert Committee of the NGT accused the Art of Living Foundation for bringing in and dumping the malba (construction debris) and flattening the malba thereby destroying the flood plain.Firstly, as shown by the satellite images of the land parcel furnished earlier, the purple area indicates the unsolicited construction debris that existed since the year 2000.Trucks were seen emptying tonnes of malba on a daily basis when the Art of Living began preparation for the event (circa December 2015)Once the land was allotted to the foundation, the Art of Living sent out a letter the the DDA citing these concerns about the existing construction dump.To which, the DDA didn’t remove the debris whereas told the Art of Living Foundation to remove the malba at its own cost !Here, is the invoice of the contractor ,who was given the duty to remove the debris from the venue site ,under the instructions the Art of Living Foundation (Cost borne by the Art of Living Foundation !)This is how the site appeared before the event:So, why did the NGT falsely accuse the foundation wherein no cementing/foundation work of any sort was undertaken for the event?5. Claim 5: Disturbed the aquatic life of the riverFacts:The river Yamuna (Delhi stretch) is nearly devoid of fish species due to extremely low level ( ~0) dissolved oxygen in the river water.Let us analyze the water quality of the river Yamuna first.Referring to the “Water Quality Status of Yamuna River” report by the Central Pollution and Control Board (erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forests,Government of India),here is the longitudinal profile of the dissolved oxygen.(Report foreword by V. Rajagopalan, Chairman-CPCB)(Notice the graph points near Nizamuddin Bridge ,Agra Canal)The report goes out further to state that“ In Yamuna River low BOD and low DO was observed more oftenly may be due to consumption of oxygen by settled sludge in the riverbed.”(Ref 3.13, page No.42)Other key notations from the report are listed below:“The sources contributing pollution are both point & non-point type. Urban agglomeration at NCT – Delhi is the major contributor of pollution in the Yamuna River followed by Agra and Mathura. About 85% of the total pollution in the river is contributed by domestic sources. The condition of river deteriorate further due to abstraction of significant amount of river water, leaving almost no fresh water in the river, which is essential to maintain the assimilation capacity of the river.”“In the critically, polluted stretch of Yamuna river from Delhi to Chambal confluence, there was significant fluctuations in dissolved oxygen level from Nil to well above saturation level. This reflects presence of organic pollution load and persistence of eutrophic conditions in the river.”“Bacteriological contamination is significantly high in the entire Yamuna River stretch. Total Coliforms are generally well above the prescribed water quality standard even sometimes at Yamunotri also. The microbiological analysis confirms that the bacteriological contamination was predominantly contributed by human beings.”Here are the longitudinal profiles of the Total and Faecal Coliforms in Yamuna River :Not to forget the drains opening up in the Delhi stretch.“Najafgarh drain of NCT – Delhi is the biggest polluter of River Yamuna, which contributes about 26% (year 2001) to 33% 22 (year 2000) of total BOD load and 48% (year 2003) to 52% (year 2001) of total discharge that joins Yamuna river and canal at Delhi by various drains. There are 70 sub drains that join main Najafgarh Drain. The study indicated that the total BOD load received by Najafgarh Drain through sub-drains was 136 TPD, whereas the BOD load at the terminal end of the Najafgarh Drain was 83 TPD only. This reduction may be contributed by biodegradation, deposition of setllable material at the bottom and diversion of drain water for irrigation etc”.“ River Yamuna receives significantly high amount of organic matter, which is generally, originates from domestic sources. For biodegradation, this organic waste requires oxygen, causing significant depletion of dissolved oxygen in river water. The oxygen depletion not only affects biotic community of the river but also affects its self-purification capacity. This problem is critical in the river stretch between Delhi and confluences of river with Chambal. In Delhi stretch, the load of organic matter is so high that it consumes the entire dissolved oxygen available in river water.”Presenting another latest report by the Central Pollution Control Board titled “Water quality status of in Delhi stretch of Yamuna River”Exhibit 1: Water quality of river Yamuna river in terms of Dissolved Oxygen (DO)The above graph clearly shows that the standard DO should be~4–5 whereas near the Nizamuddin bridge and Okhla region it below 1.Exhibit 2: Water quality of river Yamuna in terms of Total ColiformThe report also throws light on the discharge of various drains in the river Yamuna.“There are twenty one major wastewater drains in NCT-Delhi, out of which 18 drains join Yamuna River and rest joins Agra/Gurgaon canal.All the drains join Yamuna River downstream of Wazirabad barrage.These drains are being monitored regularly on monthly basis.The range of total BOD Load of 18 drains join Yamuna river was 105 TPD (August, 2015) to 229 TPD (January, 2016).Total discharge of these drains was varied from 29 m3/s (May, 2016 to 43 m3/s (August, 2014).The collective average of these drains for the year 2015 and 2016 in terms of discharge was about 34.8 m3/s and 34.3 m3/s respectively whereas, BOD load average for these two years was 164 Tons/day (TPD) and 178 Tons/day respectively.Based on the Discharge and BOD load of 18 drains Najafgarh drain was the biggest polluter of Yamuna River followed by Shahdara drain. These two drains alone contributes about 74% of total Bod load and 82% of total discharge of the 18 major drains that join Yamuna river at Delhi.”Exhibit 3: Discharge of major drains joins Yamuna River at DelhiLastly, I wish to produce a report titled “ Restoration and Conservation of River Yamuna” authored by the NGT Expert Committee members itself in the year 2012–13(Authors Prof. C.R.Babu, Prof.A.K.Gosain, Prof.Brij Gopal-All being expert members of the NGT)The report categorically states that“the loss of life supporting potential of the river is the major concern to the public, the Government and the courts”“the flowing water, the river bed, the floodplain forest and grassland ecosystems are locally extinct”Here is a snapshot of the same :The report also states that:“The Delhi urban stretch of 22 km in the downstream of Wazirabad barrage upto Okhla barrage (Section III) is critically polluted and dry weather flow is almost the treated and untreated sewage from 22 drains and the fresh water flow from upstream or lateral connection and it is perhaps one of the most polluted river stretches in the country with zero DO and over 30 mg/l BOD levels”Whereas, the same committee members in its final report slamming the Art of Living state the following:How could the World Culture Festival destroy something that according to the same committee members didn’t even exist in the first place.Why is the Art of Living blamed selectively for the pollution of the river Yamuna over the past decades?Isn’t this nothing but sheer hypocrisy?From the above data, following points to be noted:Yamuna river (Delhi stretch)is a dead river with almost zero dissolved oxygen, high amounts of pollutants and no fresh water. How can aquatic life survive under these chemically harsh conditions?The discharge of major drains in the Delhi stretch of the river along with industrial effluents and the pollution levels of Yamuna is alarming.Why does the NGT put the blame on the Art of Living Foundation which has done zero damage to the floodplains and the river?What has NGT done to curb the industrial and human pollution which are harming the river Yamuna?There is a strong judgmental bias in the current NGT report Vs the Art of Living and Others6. Claim 6: Alleging compaction and leveling of the floodplainFacts:Before going to analyse the charges of compaction, it is quintessential that we first define the nature of the land where the event was conducted.According to the report “Environmental flow for monsoon rivers in India-The Yamuna river as a case study”, the Yamuna floodplains has alluvial sandy soil (Reference: Rao, S.V.N., Kumar, S., Shekhar, S., Sinha, S.K. & Manju, S. 2007. Optimal pumping from Skimming Wells from the Yamuna river flood plain in north India. Hydrogeology Journal 15: 1157-1167)According to one of the Expert Committee member-Prof.A.K.Gosain’s earlier published research paper titled- “A new scheme for large-scale natural water storage in the floodplains: the Delhi Yamuna floodplains as a case study”, the author says “the river has been bringing sand from the mountains and depositing it along its basin, forming the floodplains. This accumulated sandy layer exists to an average of depth of 40 m”The report earlier furnished in claim 5 by the expert committee members itself (Can be found here) states that the floodplain near the river Yamuna has “sand and gravel”.Hence, it is a well established fact that the floodplain has sandy soil ! So, can sandy soil be compacted ?Now,given the above data, let us go through some scientific studies about sand compaction and verify the allegations by the NGT.For a confirmatory statement on the extent and exact reason of consolidation and/ or compaction in qualitative and quantitative terms, laboratory test of undisturbed soil samples from the land parcel will be required.By comparing the current soil density with the previous records of soil density over the land parcel,the difference could be worked out.But conducting such a test of unconfined sand/sandy soil appears almost impossible due to the established principles of soil mechanics.Referring to the established principles of soil mechanics and geo-technical engineering from the widely accepted and used textbook for soil mechanics by Prof.V.N.S.Murthy tiled “A Text Book of Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering” let us go through the pressure-void ratio curves of sandIn the above curve, it is clearly evident that “ more than 90 % of the compression has taken place within a period of less than 2 minutes. The time lag is largely frictional. The compression is about the same whether the sand is dry or saturated”.“The amount of compression even under high load intensity is not quite significant as can be seen from the curves.”It is obvious that the natural consolidation of this land parcel would have taken place in the geological past immediately after the deposition with some movement of animals and humans over it.It appears from the final report that the expert committee didn’t conduct any geo-technical analysis and not a single report was attached as an annexure to their claim.Verbally saying that they went there and saw the top soil layer become a thick crust is not evidence. There are tests that are legally permitted in the courts of law which the expert committee doesn’t seem to have done.The WCF area occupied ~ 25 hectares of land out of the total 9300 hectares of the floodplain (Approximately 0.26 %)So to exert the high pressure for land compaction it would require numerous heavy weight rollers (which apparently weren’t used by the organizers).Furthermore, the curve for dense sand in ‘Void ratio v/s pressure in kg/sq.cm’ indicates that dense sand (as deposited by the Yamuna and Ganga) does not show noticeable changes with increase in pressure.It is an undeniable fact that this land parcel has been under agricultural practices since decades (if not centuries).Agricultural practices; tilling (harrowing); movement of farms equipment and agricultural machinery; movement of dumpers for unabated dumping of construction waste for years and then the movement for trucks and dumpers for removal of the same has already shaped the consolidation and /or compaction of this land parcel ages before the event of the World Culture Festival 2016 was organized.Moreover, it is important to note that the entire stage for the event was supported by a series of iron scaffolding with raft footing (shown in the figure below)An Engineering Marvel ?Nothing was anchored in the natural stratum to hold the stage, overall the stage had a floating foundation. Can’t believe? have a look at this :Pics: The stage was made of thousands of such scaffolding rods in lattice structure spread across 7.5 acre (stage area)Pic: Scaffolding structure (showing the highest level) used for construction of the stage ; photographed during the removal of the stage.Pic: Steel plate rod used for distribution of the load, without any anchorage in the ground; photographed during the removal of the stage.The stage had negligible impact on the ground. Overall the stage was a floating stage and the impact of a floating stage on sandy soil is insignificant. For the record, no cement foundation was done as can be seen from the pictures.Trivia: The physics behind this stage bears a strong visual analogy with a yogi sleeping on a bed of nails. As a matter of fact, this ancient technique used by hathayogis in India has been a source of inspiration for the design of this stage !Pic: The concept of “Yogi Nail Bed” used as an inspiration for the WCF stage is based on the principle of uniform distribution of weight over a large surface area, therefore the overall impact is extremely low or negligible.Finally, the only court permissible test to determine compaction of soil is the CBR Test (California Bearing Ratio Test). It involves taking soil samples before and after the event and then applying the test. Since the expert committee did not collect any soil samples before and after the event to come up with the alleged 13 cr damage,the Art of Living Foundation themselves requested the NGT to conduct the CBR test at the venue, and the application was duly rejected !Here is the permission letter made by the Art of Living Foundation to the NGT (which was disposed off by the NGT !)The Chairman of the Expert Committee of the NGT Mrs.Shashi Shekhar (IAS) (Ministry of Water Resouces, Govt. of India)even goes out to the extent of saying the compensation of 120 cr put forth on the Art of Living foundation as ad-hoc and unscientific and not based on any scientific assessments. The Chairman does not even endorse the compensation.Also, it is important to see whether the NGT conducted any scientific studies before quantifying the damage if any ?It would be very astounding for the reader to realize that no such thing was done. Only a mere “visual inspection” was conducted by the Expert Committee members of the NGT at the venue on the 6th of June 2016(Singular visit).And no scientific evidence and data samples have been provided by the NGT Expert Committee in the Court of Law.That’s like going to a doctor who after just glancing at your direction hands you a list of ailments he assesses that you suffer from and proceeds to slap you with a fat bill for your future treatments !It is surprising to believe that the Chairman of the Expert Committee Mr.Shashi Shekhar has distanced himself from the committee’s recommendations. The Chairman’s signature is also missing from the final report. And only 4 out the 7 Expert Committee members have signed the final report !7. Claim 7: Going from ecological “restoration” to ecological “rehabilitation” of the floodplainFacts:Throughout the first report, the Expert Committee members of the NGT have used the term “restoration” and in the final report they use the word “rehablitation”Why the sudden switch?Because, the NGT Expert Committee cannot prove any damage that was done to the floodplain and the environment by the event.In their final report this is what they state:It is not possible for the ‘Expert Committee’ to assess the ecological status of the site before and after the event? This was their primary job in the first place !Also, the committee points out that it is extremely difficult to assess the costs of environment damage and degradation accurately because“it requires substantial time, human and other resources to collect detailed quantitative information on the nature, extend and magnitude of various activities listed earlier for restoration”That’s a clever way of saying that they cannot prove the damage quantitatively and qualitatively and hence the question of restoration is redundant.They also go on to state that “estimation of the costs of restoration requires the preparation of a Detailed Project Report that may take several months to a year besides financial resources.”Who can buy that argument? Why was the Expert Panel commissioned in the first place?Moreover, the Expert Committee states that it has now decided to “REHABILITATE THE IMPACTED SITE”.The NGT’s proposed plan includes creating a bio diversity park, two large water bodies, three tier planting of vegetation,and establishing new sewage treatment plants,etcLet’s put things into perspective, firstly, the Committee says that it cannot prove any damage scientifically. Consequently they cannot assign costs to restore damage. Hence, they wish to switch the narrative from being a “restoration cost” to “rehabilitation cost”. And moreover, they wish to build a utopian biodiversity park for which the Art of Living should bear the cost ! (Slow claps !) Wait, I am not yet done !In order to build this dream park, the Expert Committee has submitted a ‘Budget’ for building this park. The budget lists ‘Salaries and Consultancies’ as a cost component to monitor and supervise the construction. This cost component totals up to 7 CRORE RUPEES ! Here is their estimations !That’s not all friends. The NGT Expert Committee even goes on record to state that “rehabilitation” will take a period of 10 years and the expert committee members have nominated themselves to undertake this project as “Consultants”(Indeed a very sly way of pocketing the 7 crore!)In the final analysis,the expert committee members in their final report state that they are unable to differentiate the activities required to restore the floodplain and the activities to undo the alleged damage due to the event. That is a very clever way of saying that they cannot differentiate the damage done to the floodplain before the event and the damage done by the event.As this article says,“The Art of Living case will go down as a test for environment activism in the country. The nation expects the NGT will gather enough courage to call the bluff of the committee and go by the merits of the case”.References:http://delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/55a9380047b2199a9155d5bdc775c0fb/Final_Report_NGT-Yamuna_Restoration%2B(11-4-2014).pdf?MOD=AJPERES&lmod=-287594179https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1306/1306.2709.pdfhttp://www.cpcb.nic.in/newitems/11.pdfDelhi Development AuthorityTextbook of Soil Mechanics and Foundation EngineeringGoogle Earth – Google EarthNational Green TribunalHomepage | Ramsarflood plainCentral Pollution Control Board :::https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/newsroom/press-statement/independent-environmentalist-statement-ngt-reporthttp://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/2edvol3d.pdfWill NGT call the Yamuna expert panel's bluff?Written by:Soham D’SouzaBachelors in Chemical Technology-Institute of Chemical Technology (former UDCT) , MumbaiMumbai

Day 316 - 320January 6:- AAP govt scraps management quota in nursery admissionsJanuary 1: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal clarified that the odd-even scheme can't be implemented on a permanent basis. Calling it as a temporary call to curb dangerous levels of pollution, Kejriwal said that the scheme would be in practice till 15 January.December 31: After AAP suspended two officers for allegedly refusing to sign off on decisions taken by the government, around 200 officials went on mass leave today to protest against the suspension. Terming the suspension as 'illegal', the senior officers of the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Service (DANICS) went on mass leave in a show of solidarity.December 31: The Delhi High Court asked Kejriwal government about its decision to exempt women and 55-lakh two-wheelers from the odd-even scheme to curb pollution. The Court sought to know the logic behind such exemptions and asked the government to submit a report on pollution levels during the odd-even experiment from 1 -15 January.December 28: BJP workers protested outside Kejriwal’s residence and demand his resignation over the alleged auto-rickshaw permit scam. The BJP held Kejriwal and Transport Minister Gopal Rai accountable for allegedly giving permits to the auto mafia. On 26 December, the Delhi government scrapped more than 900 autorickshaw permits.Day 301 - 315December 27: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced his decision to kick-start his Punjab campaign in January. The state will go to polls in 2017. Kejriwal will start the campaign by addressing a mega rally in Muktsar next month. The Delhi Chief Minister will reportedly spend more time in Punjab from next year, AAP sources said.December 22: A criminal complaint has been filed against Arvind Kejriwal for using "defamatory" words against PM Narendra Modi after the CBI raid at the office of his Principal Secretary. An advocate has sought Kejriwal's prosecution under sections 124A (sedition) and 500 (defamation) of the IPC.December 17: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's resignation for "very serious allegations" have been levelled against him in the DDCA corruption case. Earlier, AAP had levelled corruption allegations against him.December 16: Arvind Kejriwal accused the CBI of seizing documents "unrelated" to the probe against Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar during the day-long raid. Kejriwal also claimed that a file related to DDCA was also scrutinised.The Kejriwal government finalised its slum rehabilitation policy. The proposed ‘Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015’, which was approved in a meeting chaired by Arvind Kejriwal, stated that no new slums will be allowed to come up in the capital.December 14: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to discuss the demolition drive in West Delhi that has allegedly caused death of a six-month-old infant. Prabhu and Kejriwal discussed how homeless people could be rehabilitated. After the meeting, Kejriwal announced that there will be no further slum demolition "without rehabilitation”.Day 201 - 300December 9: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured full support to Delhi government on implementing its odd-even scheme for plying of private vehicles in the city from 1 January. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that his meeting with the Home Minister was very positive and he has got assurance of full support of Delhi Police as well.December 5: Describing the odd-even scheme as a drastic step that had to be taken to address the panic over pollution, Kejriwal said that it will be tried out for limited period of time and it will be stopped problems surface. He further said that Delhi’s roads will be vacuum-cleaned starting 1 April 2016.December 2: Delhi CM offered “fullest support” to people in Chennai after an unprecedented downpour created a flood-like situation. Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa offering all resources at the disposal of the Delhi government to the flood-affected state.December 1: The AAP government passed a bunch of bills to bring major reforms in education system of Delhi. The Delhi School Education ( Amendment) Bill 2015 and The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Delhi Amendment) Bill are among the ones passed.November 28: The AAP government approved the proposal for a hike in salary and allowances of MLAs at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In October, an independent panel appointed by the Delhi government had recommended over 400% increase in their basic salary.November 23: The BJP government at the Centre allotted Rs. 3,250 crore for decongesting and developing the national capital. After allotting an additional Rs. 96.7 crore for making Delhi cleaner, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu praised Arvind Kejriwal for roping in three municipal bodies in Delhi for the week-long cleanliness drive.November 23: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party is not in the race for 2019 elections. Calling the Delhi win 'miraculous', Kejriwal said that the party is not here for power politics and it will keep working hard and with honesty.November 18: The Cabinet of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal cleared the Jan Lokpal Bill that meets the long-standing demand of the chief minister coming under the purview of the ombudsman. The Bill will be tabled in the Legislative Assembly for approval.November 13: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has launched a complaint against Delhi Police for not cooperating with the AAP government. In a letter sent to the MHA on 7 November, the Delhi government alleged that the police are “hounding” AAP MLAs by digging up old cases and slapping new ones against them.November 7: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the result of Bihar elections was a referendum against the Narendra Modi government. The people's verdict, according to AAP Chief, “has broken the Centre's arrogance”.November 5: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered a probe against Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) chief MK Meena for allegedly intimidating his juniors in office. The probe will be based on the reports of misconduct or misbehaviour against Mukesh Meena.October 30: Arvind Kejriwal wrote an open letter in a national daily absolving his party of any responsibility for the garbage crisis in the wake of ongoing strike of municipal workers in the Delhi. The Delhi CM clarified that MCD workers are not on strike because of non-payment of dues.October 29: Arvind Kejriwal rallied in support of Nitish Kumar as Bihar was gearing up for the third phase of Assembly polls. He appealed to the people of Bihar to vote the incumbent Chief Minister to power. Kejriwal had publicly backed Kumar’s candidature since the beginning of the elections campaign.October 28: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condemned the Delhi Police's "raid" at Kerala Bhavan after a complaint was lodged that its canteen was serving beef. Stating that Kerala house is a government establishment, he added that the raid was an attack on federal structure.October 22: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal led a cycle rally to mark the first ever 'Car-Free Day' in Delhi. Hundreds of people joined him in the cycle rally, which was held between Red Fort and Bhagwan Das Marg.October 17: After the ghastly incident of three rapes within a week, Kejriwal reiterated his demand for full authority over the police department. Besides shaming the repeated rape of minors, he also criticized the Delhi Police for completely failing to provide safety.October 15: The AAP government extended "full support" to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan after it announced its decision to launch a major drive on 21st and 22nd November to clean up Delhi of "all garbage and debris"October 9: Delhi CM sacked environment and food minister Asim Ahmed Khan for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs. 6 lakh from a builder. Emphasizing AAP's zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, Kejriwal dared the BJP to sack its leaders – Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan – on corruption charges.September 30: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s efforts to bring all the CMs of the states together for a meeting to build a pressure group against PM Modi didn't yield a positive response. The CMs of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar intimated they would be unable to attend the function. Kejriwal was counting on non-BJP and non-Congress chief ministers to make the conclave a success.September 27: Arvind Kejriwal took at dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project ‘Make in India’ by asserting that the focus should be on ‘Making India' rather than 'Make in India'. He argued that the Centre should concentrate on “providing proper infrastructure, rendering honest services and ensuring a conducive atmosphere for making India.September 26: Although Kejriwal has been locked in a tussle with Governor Najeeb Jung over several issues since AAP government came to power, the Delhi CM rallied in his support when BJP called for his removal. Describing him as a 'good man”, he added that removing Jung will not help sand the real solution lies in PMO not interfering in Delhi's affairs.September 25: After the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) announced its decision to keep the power tariff at the prevailing level for domestic consumers, AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal attributed this development to “honest politics” of the party. The AAP-led Delhi government had urged DERC to reduce the tariff or keep it at existing levels, till an audit of the discoms is finalised.September 23: Delhi chief minister described his former law minister Somnath Bharti as an “embarrassment” to his party, AAP. He added that Bharti should surrender in a case of domestic violence and attempt to murder filed by his wife. On the contrary, other senior AAP leaders had shown solidarity with Bharti.Day 200The AAP government in Delhi will start providing education loan from 8 September onwards. Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia, who also holds the Education portfolio, said that the needy students could avail loans from the date mentioned. He was attending a programme at the Talkatora Stadium when he said this. He said, “If any student has any problem pursuing education, Delhi government guarantees the solution and will pay the fees. Rs 10 lakh education loan will be provided to students from September 8”. According to the government's scheme, the needy students will be entitled to a maximum loan of Rs. 10 lakh to pursue higher studies.A list comprising the names of five judges was sent by the Kejriwal government to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Justice G Rohini, in connection with the appointment of a new Lokayukta of Delhi. The Lokayukta can only be appointed after the consultation with the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court as per the provisions of the 'Delhi Lokayukta and Uplokayukta Act 1995'. According to the government sources, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was recently asked by the Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to send across proposed names for the post that has been lying vacant since November 2013.Day 199The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA launched an agitation against Delhi government on Tuesday. Pankaj Pushkar, AAP MLA from Timarpur, criticised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his “neglect and substandard treatment of Sangam Vihar” area. While Pushkar demanded resolution of civic issues in Sangam Vihar, the party leadership refused to engage with the MLA. Pushkar had raised the issue twice in the Assembly but he was denied an opportunity to speak the third time.The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal promised one lakh jobs in next one year and free Wi-Fi in colleges to the students of Delhi University that will have students union elections soon. During a star-studded event on Tuesday, Kejriwal also promised higher education loan scheme for the students.Day 198Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday that his government was planning to set up a special unit to address the issues faced by the students of northeastern states and ensure 'better resolution'. The proposed body will be called 'North East India Support Cell and Monitoring Committee'. He said this after meeting a delegation of the members of the northeastern states. Kejriwal said, “We will set up the cell immediately to have a better coordination and resolution of your issues. The cell will look into all your problems and demands, we will put people who understand your problems in the cell".The Delhi government on Monday took back the Law Ministry from Kapil Mishra and handed its charge to the second most senior minister in the government Manish Sisodia. This is the third time in last six and a half months that the AAP government changed its Law Minister. The charge of the Ministry first given to Jitendra Singh Tomar, who was replaced by Satyendra Jain. The AAP government said that there was no major reason why this was done as Mishra was already holding the Delhi Tourism Ministry and the charge of Jal Board. According to government sources, Kapil Mishra himself wanted that someone else becomes the Law Minister.Day 197AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the Delhi Power tariff issue, saying that the private discoms were charging way too much for power supply to Delhi. Kejriwal asked PM Modi to allow his government to terminate all existing power pacts with power generation companies so that the allegedly high tariffs can be brought down considerably. While launching the Power Amnesty Scheme in Vinod Nagar area of East Delhi, Kejriwal said “We have come to know that many power companies are ready to supply power at Rs. 2.5 to Rs. 3 per unit. When we can get electricity at this rate, why should we buy it for Rs. 5 or Rs. 5.50 per unit?”.Now the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus shelters in the National Capital will carry solar power panel over them as planned by the Delhi government. The AAP government plans to do so in order to meet the city's increasing power demand. The Kejriwal government was of the view that the solar power was the only solution in sight to satisfy Delhi's electricity requirements. Delhi's Power Minister Satyendra Jain said at the launch of the power amnesty scheme, “We are planning to install solar panel on the roofs of the city's bus shelters so that more electricity could be generated. Installation of solar panel on the roofs of bus shelters will help the government generate power. Besides, we will be self-reliant in generating electricity through solar power.Day 196Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, was in Haridwar to celebrate the occasion of Raksha Bandhan with his sister. His sister, Dr. Ranjana Gupta, is employed with BHEL in Haridwar. She tied a Rakhi on Kejriwal's wrist who spent the whole day with her family. The Delhi CM reached the holy city by Shatabdi train on Saturday morning and returned by late evening. Kejriwal was accorded a grand welcome by AAP workers upon his arrival in Haridwar.Day 195Delhi Law Minister Kapil Mishra on Friday requested Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to pass the orders to file an FIR against former Delhi CM Sheila Dixit for her alleged involvement in Rs. 400-crore Tanker Scam. The minister and the Jal Board made the request after the 200-page report of the committees probing into Delhi water tanker scam came out. The Law minister handed over the report to Kejriwal on Friday.The AAP-led government in Delhi has asked the NDA government in the centre to resend Delhi's nomination for UNESCO World Heritage Cities in 2016, after the latter withdrew it for 2015. The Delhi government severely criticised the centre's move. “Delhi government had proposed ‘Delhi’s Imperial Capital Cities’ for nomination to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Cities. However, according to the UNESCO website, the Government of India withdrew the nomination just before the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, in 2015. There was no communication to the Delhi government in this regard” KK Sharma, Delhi's Chief Secretary wrote to the Secretary of the Ministry of Culture.A University Special (U-Special) bus, dedicated to serve the Delhi University students, was flagged off on Friday by Delhi's Transport Minister Gopal Rai. A government official said that the Transport Ministry decided to start the service when the minister met a delegation of students 10 days back. A Facebook post by Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) said, “Taking prompt cognisance on a CYSS memorandum, Transport Minister Gopal Rai inaugurated ‘DU special’ bus service for the comfortable conveyance of DU students. CYSS is committed to raise the issues of students and the Delhi government is more than eager to give preferences to the demands of students, the future of our nation.Day 194Delhi's Power Minister, Satyendra Jain, on Thursday, said that the AAP government was working non-stop to fulfill Delhi's power requirements and install solar power plants in order to make power generation an eco-friendly exercise. The Minister said that these projects will get around 20% boost in work efficiency. The projects will generate 1,000 MW of power in next five years and around 2,000 MW by 2025. To achieve the set targets, the Delhi government will promote solar power plants based on the model of Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO).Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung, was not the elected government in the National Capital, the Kejriwal government told the Delhi High Court on Thursday. The AAP government said that the L-G was only supposed to act on the assistance and advice extended to him by the elected Council of Ministers. The government made this submission in front of a bench of Justice VP Vaish hearing the government's plea that challenged the May 21 notification from the Home Ministry allowing absolute powers to appoint bureaucrats to Najeeb Jung.Day 193Launching a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Modi's Clean India campaign is a failure.Addressing a meeting in Patna, Kejriwal said that the NDA government is spending millions of rupees on advertisements related to the Swachh Bharat campaign but "not a single lane was clean". He also added that the youth were losing faith in the Central government.The Delhi BJP, on Wednesday, termed AAP government's decision of setting up a commission to probe into the CNG fitness scam as "retrogressive”. According to the Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly, Vijendra Gupta, the fact that the Delhi government going ahead with the its own commission despite the objection from the Home Ministry is “against the letter and the spirit of the Constitution of India”.Greenpeace India, on Wednesday, urged the Delhi Government to "capitalise" on the city's rooftop solar potential. It expects the AAP government to show commitment towards harnessing 2GW of solar power by 2025. Greenpeace also requested the AAP government to start implementing the draft solar policy presented at the Delhi Solar Roundtable Conference on 25 October.Day 192Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and complained to him that the Delhi Police was in an unwanted tussle with his government and it was time the PM intervened. “We feel as if Delhi Police is at war with Delhi government and this is not good”, he said while in conversation with media after he met Modi. Kejriwal also raised his concerns that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung was intentionally interfering in the functioning of the AAP government in the National Capital. He stressed the need of better communication with the Union Government saying, “I told PM that we will fulfil Swachh Bharat or Digital India in Delhi, but for that better communication with Centre is needed”.The AAP government told the High Court on Tuesday that within next ten days it would come up with new guidelines for radio taxi companies operating in Delhi. The guidelines will focus on setting rules and regulations for these companies to follow in connection with the safety of women and other passengers. The government told the High Court bench comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath that it was trying to make a few changes in the existing radio taxi scheme. The GPRS system will be mandatory, there will be a panic switch, and the Delhi Police will have the driver's full database with them according to the new guidelines.Day 191Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejrwal on Monday was urged by the leader of opposition, Vijendra Gupta of BJP, to dismiss his government's order of fixing an upper age limit for enrollments into the government schools. Gupta maintained that the AAP government's decision was against the very meaning and existence of the Right to Education Act. He said that a large number of students from slums and other economically backward sections will be deprived of the basic right to be educated. Gupta said, “The worst affected are the students belonging to weaker sections of the society whose parents have no regular source of income and fixed house to stay. It causes disruption in studies of their children, therefore, they are unable to get regular education as per their age... By fixing upper limit of the age, these children are not able to get admission in government schools”.The AAP government on Monday increased the number of mobile vans selling onions in Delhi at cheaper price in a bid to control the steep rise in onion prices in the National Capital. The Kejriwal government met the wholesale traders of the Azadpur Sabzi Mandi on Monday and urged them to sell onions at lower rates, to which the traders have responded positively. In a meeting held at the Delhi Secretariat, the traders told Delhi's Development Minister Gopal Rai and the Food and Supplies Minister Asim Ahmed Khan that they receive onion from the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh at varying rates. The prices have just started coming down as huge amount of onion has been imported from Egypt and Afghanistan.Day 190The Delhi government's proposal for hiking the salaries of its mid and senior-level officers has been turned down by the NDA-led central government. An utter displeasure over the AAP government's decision has been expressed by the Union Home Ministry. The Delhi government had decided to grant time-bound pay scales to the civil servants of the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Island Civil Services (DANICS). Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal confirmed the centre's move and said, “they will not do good work, neither will they let us”. While, maintaining that it was not consulted before issuing the orders, the MHA said, “(Home Ministery was) the competent authority to make any amendments in the DANICS Rules”.Prime Minister Narendra Modi was again at the receiving end when the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at him and blamed him for the arrest of AAP MLA Surinder Singh. Kejriwal took to twitter to express his displeasure and wrote “The Modi government gets Commando Surinder arrested. In less than 24 hours, he gets bail. What is Modiji trying to achieve?” Surinder Singh is an MLA from the Delhi Cantonment constituency, who was arrested on Friday for allegedly thrashing and beating a NDMC worker on 4 August in the Tughlaq Road area.Day 189The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is mulling over the possibility of showing the door to the tainted members of the assembly. Amongst those who can be ousted are Jitender Singh Tomar, Pankaj Pushkar and Manoj Kumar. It is believed that the Kejriwal government is thinking of taking this action in a bid to improve its image that has taken a hit in recent times and re-instill people's faith in the government and the party. If a resolution against the three suspects is passed unanimously in the assembly and is accepted by the speaker, they will be expelled. An AAP member said, “We are a party with a difference and have zero tolerance to any kind of corruption and wrong doings. Two of the three persons have caused a severe dent in the party’s image”.Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday stressed the need to provide quality education for all to get the country rid of poverty. Addressing the students of the Delhi Public School, Noida, Kejriwal said that his government was committed and trying its best to improve the quality and standard of education in government schools. He said, “I have been coming to DPS for past 13 years as a parent. My daughter passed out from this school and my son Pulkit is a student of Class 9. As a proud parent I give credit to the school for grooming children into multi-faceted individuals”.Day 188The AAP government in Delhi on Friday decided to establish a new trauma centre and make stringent laws to punish the culprits behind the disasters and tragedies like those of Uphaar cinema and Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said this to media after holding talks with the members of the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT). A day earlier, Chairperson of AVUT Neelam Krishnamurthy had urged the CM not to accept Rs. 60 crore from the Uphaar owners – Ansals – as compensation. However, a statement by the Delhi government said, “The CM is seeking a legal opinion on the matter and will take a considered decision, which will take into account sentiments of the victims’ families. The CM told the delegation that the government will appoint counsels in these cases only after consulting the families, and will do everything possible to fast-track these cases”.The Kejriwal government on Friday assured the people of Delhi that there was enough stock of onion with the Fair Price Shops and it will be sold at the prices as promised. The CM urged the people not to panic while the market price of onion has touched a whopping Rs. 80 per kg. The government had to face the heat at the hands of the opposition, which blamed the government for mismanagement of vegetable prices in the National Capital. The government, though, warned that the onion price might just go even higher. “Further spike in prices is expected both in wholesale and retail markets as the tight supply situation would continue in the wake of likely fall in kharif production and delay in arrival of the fresh crop”, an official said.Day 187A stay on the notification tripling the circle rates of the agricultural land in Delhi was refused on Thursday by the Delhi High Court. This came as a huge relief to the AAP government as the legality of the notification was challenged by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, while Congress leader Naresh Kumar filed a PIL seeking a stay on the notification. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath shied away from passing an interim order to stay the notification and said that the Delhi government's stand will be heard before any orders are passed. The Kejriwal government has got 23 September as the last date to file a reply to the plea.The parents of Meenakshi, the girl who was brutally stabbed and killed last month in the Anand Parbat area of Central Delhi, were handed over cheques worth Rs. 5 lakh on Thursday. The amount of compensation was announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last month when he visited the victim's house. Sandeep Kumar, Women and Child Development Minister, handed over the cheque to Meenakshi's parents.The Kejriwal-led government in Delhi was urged on Thursday by the kin of the victims of the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy not to accept compensation of Rs. 60 crore. Having lost her children in the tragedy, Neelam Krishnamurthy said that she did not want the government to accept this amount as it was “blood money”. She said, “This is not compensation awarded to remove our trauma but it is, in fact, blood money. I have sought a meeting with CM Arvind Kejriwal tomorrow. Our representation to him requests his government to refuse the amount”. The Chairperson of the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), Krishnamurthy was of the view that money is not the solution of the problem, “Can the money ever be a substitute for losing your children? Let the Supreme Court utilise it for faster criminal justice system in the country, we would be satisfied with that. Delhi government has enough money to build a trauma centre”, she added. On 13 June 1997, a major fire broke out in the Uphaar cinema, which killed 59 people.Day 186Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, who earlier supported the stand and cause of the protesting FTII students, went an extra mile on Wednesday. He offered the agitating students to come to Delhi and hold their classes here. Kejriwal fired a series of tweets in which he said, “Delhi government can offer you space in Delhi to run your classes till the Centre agrees to your demand. If the Centre doesn't agree, we will create a full-fledged institute for students to continue here. An institute of international repute is being destroyed by Centre's wrong decisions”, he said in a number of tweets. The FTII students have been protesting against the appointment of actor and BJP leader Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman of the institute since 12 June.Under a plan to widen the National Highway number 24 (NH-24), the AAP government in Delhi has decided to strike down unauthorised roadside shanties in East Delhi. These slums fall in the Patparganj legislative assembly constituency from where the Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is the sitting MLA. However, the AAP had promised not to demolish any unauthorised colonies or slums when it re-assumed power in the National Capital, the locals claim. A notification regarding the demolition of these slums was issued about a month ago by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. One of the residents of the slums at Nehru Camp said, “We have been living here for the last 25-30 years but the government has suddenly asked us to vacate the land without any alternative arrangement. On the one hand, government has prohibited demolition of slums and on the other hand it is ready to bulldoze our houses. This action will leave us homeless”.Day 185The Delhiites may have to pay even lesser for electricity consumption if Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his government have their way. Arvind Kejriwal maintained on Tuesday that the power tariffs in the city should be further cut down as the three private discoms in Delhi have produced undulyinflated figures upto Rs. 8,000 crore as the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) suggests. The AAP government is also contemplating on seeking legal opinion before moving the court against the publication of the final report. Kejriwal said, “If whatever has come out is true, then it will be a very big thing. The scam of Rs 8,000 crore has surfaced. Delhiites will be benefited as tariff will have to be brought down. We have received a draft report and we are studying it. Let the final report come”.Anxious with the rapidly rising water level in the River Yamuna, the AAP-led Delhi government is trying to get its act together before its too late. Delhi Minister of Irrigation and Flood Control Gopal Rai paid a visit to the river and examined the ground situation. He also visited the Flood Control body located inside the Kashmiri Gate Bus Terminus building and issued orders to the officials to take necessary steps on time. The minister also directed the officials to keep a track of the amount of water being released from the Hathini Kund Barrage and its potential impact on Delhi. The officials were further asked to keep in touch and coordinate with the authorities in Haryana.Day 184Bihar Chief Minster Nitish Kumar will be the chief guest at the 'Bihar Samman Sammelan', which will be hosted by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on 19 August. This move by the Delhi government is being seen as an apparent attempt to evince support for the JD (U) leader ahead of the crucial Bihar assembly polls. According to the Delhi government officials, Nitish Kumar will be the chief guest in the programme, which will be held to honour people working for the uplifting of Bihar but living in Delhi.While the face-off between the AAP-led Delhi government and the Delhi Police has already become a major concern, the latest statement by the PWD, which works under the purview of the state government, may just make it worse. The PWD, in a statement on Monday, said that it would no longer be able to look after the maintenance of the Delhi Police colonies in the National Capital. Lack of funds is what has been cited as a reason behind the PWD's alleged inability to look after the maintenance of the residential colonies. “We used to maintain the buildings. But now, we are cash-strapped and need funds. Moreover, the police buildings fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which should allocate funds. It has issued new directions that only fresh constructions will be funded by the ministry and that we should forget our dues”, a PWD official said.Day 183The AAP government in Delhi, which had earlier given 50 per cent subsidy in electricity tariff, has decided to waive off electricity bills of defaulters with an aim at bringing relief to those who are facing disputes with the power companies (discoms). The government will launch a one-time settlement scheme. Under this scheme, the criminal and civil proceedings related to electricity disputes will be withdrawn.The Kejriwal government created yet another controversy after it appointed 'tainted' bureaucrat Kamal Malhotra as the Deputy Labour Commissioner. According to a news daily, the officer was twice fined by the Union Government for alleged irregularities. The decision to rope him in was criticised even by the existing staff in the department.The Delhi government plans to conduct the first ever tree census in the city with an aim at protecting its green cover. According to a government official, the Public Grievances Commission had recently recommended the government to carry out tree census in the city. “"However, such a massive census can not be done by the government alone and involvement of Residents' Welfare Associations and civic agencies will be crucial in this endeavour”, the official said.The Delhi government is planning a scheme to rehabilitate children begging at traffic signals and streets. The government is reportedly planning a committee that will conduct inspections on the streets. The members of the committee will interact with street children and persuade them to get into child care institutions.Day 182Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attended the Independence Day celebrations on Saturday and for the first time unfurled the Indian Tricolour at the Chhatrasal Stadium in the National Capital. He was expected to announce a few plans for the city for the time to come, but he highlighted the achievements of his government during the six-month tenure in Delhi. He also attacked the previous governments over a number of issues. Kejriwal stressed the need of working closely with the Centre as well. During his Chief Ministerial speech at the function, Kejriwal hinted that the power tariffs in Delhi might be reduced further very soon. Although, in a serious tussle with the NDA led government in the Centre, Kejriwal was all praise for two of its Union Ministers. He praised the Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, who recently expressed her willingness to see him to lay down a structured plan for the rejuvenation of river Yamuna. He also lauded Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for announcing an additional five lakh rupees each as compensation for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots with the expenses being borne by the Centre.The AAP led Delhi government found itself in the middle of yet another controversy when CM Arvind Kejriwal's name appeared in the stands of the Chhatrasal Stadium because of the way the seating arrangements for the students were made. It was criticised alike by not only the Congress party leaders but also Kejriwal's former associates and AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushant . However, the AAP government said that nothing was wrong with it as this has been done by the previous governments and in the same manner. The BJP, the main opposition in the Delhi Assembly, pronounced the incident as the CM's self-propaganda, which demeaned the sanctity of Independence Day itself.100 Days of Kejriwal (AAP) Government Achievements On 24 May 2015, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government completed 100 days in office in Delhi and now, all stakeholders want to look back and review what was promised in the Election Manifesto and what has been achieved till date by the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government.The last 100 days were hectic and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal continued to remain in news, though not always for the best reasons. His time in office has been mostly spent fighting one controversy after the other. Immediately after taking over as the Chief Minister, 47-year-old Arvind Kejriwal took on party colleagues Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav in full view of the media. Arvind Kejriwal’s handling of internal dissent reflected poorly on his ability to work alongside people with divergent and sometimes dissenting views, when actually politics is all about bringing people together through accommodation and consensus.With an overactive media critically scrutinising his and his party’s every move, Arvind Kejriwal stoked yet another controversy when he issued a circular asking his bureaucrats to report any case of misreporting or defamation by any section of the media. He went on to the extent of threatening the media with legal action. This move only resulted in further antagonising of the already critical media and it took the Supreme Court to intervene by placing a stay on the implementation of the order.This ugly spat had barely moved out of media glare when another controversy broke out with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung appointing Shakuntala Gamlin as an acting Chief Secretary in the absence of Chief Secretary KK Sharma, who was on a 10-day leave. Rather than addressing the tricky issue with tact, he responded by issuing a notification cancelling Shakuntala Gamlin’s appointment. This caused an unnecessary debate on constitutional rights between the Lieutenant Governor’s office and the Chief Minister’s office, with the matter reaching the President’s office.On its part, the MHA clarified that as per the existing rules, the LG was entitled to make the appointment; however, the MHA left it to the offices to amicably settle the matter. But CM Kejriwal refused to let it rest. He has now further hardened his position and called on for a two-day special session of the Delhi Assembly and may pass a resolution demanding full statehood. Caught up in the ugly fight for one-upmanship are the bureaucrats serving the Delhi government, whose morale is at an all-time low.In all this, the people of Delhi continue to live through the searing heat of Delhi’s summer, waiting for signs of better quality of life that they hoped Arvind Kejriwal would provide.Poll Manifesto Promises fulfilled by AAPControversy aside, there are several positive steps that Arvind Kejriwal has taken after becoming the Chief Minister. Here are some of the promises on which he has delivered, while many still await action.Power SubsidyIn the Poll Manifesto, the AAP had promised to halve power tariffs for consumers in Delhi. To his credit, one of the first actions Arvind Kejriwal undertook was to announce 50% reduction in power tariff. On the other side, not much action has been announced on how he plans to make up this shortfall.The manifesto also spoke about Delhi meeting 20% of its power needs through solar energy in the next 10 years. That translates to about 2% per year starting this year. However, 100 days have gone by and not much concerted action or investment in this regard has been seen.With Delhi succumbing under scorching heat, not much has been done towards working with discoms to ensure optimum power procurement and distribution. A new power plant for Delhi was promised but not much has been done towards allocating funds, nor has any action been taken towards land acquisition. The manifesto also spoke about optimising the Rajghat and Bawana plants for power generation without specifying how the government planned to do so. With the government bogged down with controversies, little action has been taken in this regard, while people continue to suffer power outages.Clean Drinking WaterThe manifesto spoke about people’s right to clean drinking water and promised to make 20 kilolitres of free water lifeline connection to every household. Here again, CM Kejriwal must be applauded for implementing this poll promise immediately after taking the office.The manifesto promised a water pipeline to every home in Delhi supplying clean drinking water. In the last 100 days, very few water pipelines have been laid, with large parts of Delhi still waiting for water to be made available through tankers, etc. The citizens who still do not have water pipeline connections are still a long way from getting this promise fulfilled.A network of Piaos (water kiosks) was to be set up in JJ Colonies to meet the drinking water requirements of the people; however, this summer has not seen many new kiosks being set up. The city continues to depend on tankers to meet their daily requirements of water.Another promise was on water conservation. The party promised to implement a dual water distribution system to recycle community waste water for non-domestic use. This was to be implemented in housing societies, commercial complexes, malls, etc. However, no announcements have been made in this regard.The manifesto also promised that the government would build underground water reservoirs, booster pumping stations and water treatment plants. All these require planning, fund allocation and land acquisition before any tendering process begins.Safe drinking water that meets BIS: 10500 Certification standards was to be supplied. Zonal water testing facilities in all the nine zones of Delhi were to be put up to check, test and monitor water quality levels.The manifesto also promised to initiate a program for the supply and installation of bulk and domestic water meters to monitor pressure, flow and supply using latest data analytical tools.A lot was promised on the revival of the river Yamuna – all requiring detailed planning, coordination with stakeholders, fund allocation and comprehensive monitoring.100 days have gone by; however, no word has been uttered on any of the above.Building Community Toilets and Effective Sewage SystemsThe AAP set for itself an ambitious target to provide a comprehensive sanitation system to 42 lakh people of Delhi who still do not have access to toilets and proper sewage system. The plan included building of two lakh new public toilets, half of which were to be for women. Till date, little is known regarding whether any areas have been earmarked, funds have been allocated or tenders have been issued on this account. The people of Delhi are still waiting.EducationThe manifesto highlighted the previous government’s budget allocation on education of 15% and showed that only 1.6% of GSDP was spent on education. Furthermore, the manifesto highlighted the fact that from 2003 to 2011, only 211 new government schools were opened in Delhi.The party promised to open 500 new schools and 20 new colleges. This translates to opening 100 new schools and five new colleges every year. With 100 days gone by, it is still a mystery as to how does CM Kejriwal propose to meet its target of 100 schools and five new colleges this year when neither any land has been acquired nor any budgetary provisions have been allocated.Furthermore, 17,000 new teachers are to be recruited. When this process is likely to start and how the Delhi government proposes to meet the additional cost given its already precarious financial situation are still an enigma.The party had also promised to allocate Rs. 1 lakh of untied funds to every school principal and give him/her the administrative and financial control over his employees. While this may sound a welcome step towards delegating more responsibility and freedom to principals, little has been stated on how the same will be monitored for misuse. And if these funds are made available to school principals, then from where the financial resources will come to build the much publicised 500 schools?Public HealthcareThe AAP has made some very ambitious promises to improve the medical infrastructure in Delhi. The manifesto stated that the party would increase the number of beds in primary and tertiary hospitals of the Delhi government from 10,600 to 40,000. This means that the party plans to add 29,400 beds over its term of five years. This translates to 5,880 beds per year. The per capita budget required for each hospital bed is significant and the per year funds requirement will be massive. Beds can’t be added without accompanying civil infrastructure and support staff of doctors, nurses, paramedics and technicians.With 100 days gone by, can the CM throw some light on the project status of the targeted 5,880 beds for this year? There are 4,000 vacancies for doctors and 15,000 vacancies for paramedics that the party had promised to fill immediately. Firstly, where these 4,000 qualified doctors are available for recruitment and how one raises 15,000 paramedics in a short period are a conundrum. Moreover, the question is how the Delhi government proposes to fund this additional expenditure when meeting expenses in just maintaining the existing medical facilities is a challenge. Another poll commitment had been to build 900 primary health centres in Delhi. This translates to 180 new primary health centres to be built every year over the next five years. Again, 100 days have gone and neither word nor any provision towards these has been initiated.Women’s Rights and SafetyWomen’s safety was a major poll issue for the AAP and the party promised to undertake several measures immediately to address this vital issue. The party promised to install two lakh CCTVs across public areas of Delhi and in buses, to monitor and respond to crimes in real time. To augment Delhi’s security, the party had committed to raise a Mahila Suraksha Dal comprising of new 10,000 home guards who will be recruited from the vast population that is currently working as maids or drivers or in other support services in the domestic area. Additionally, the party stated that they would use 5,000 bus marshals to monitor security in buses.While this is a laudable initiative, any recruitment by the government comes with a total cost package and a force this large will require a matching budget to recruit, train, deploy and maintain. Then there are other benefits and costs involved as well.Along with the aforementioned promises, additional working women’s hostels and shelters for the homeless had been promised. Though no numbers had been committed, what is interesting to note is that even no discussion on an action plan for implementing these has been initiated.CM Kejriwal is going to be hard-pressed to raise funds for the above.Pension Scheme for Senior CitizensThe manifesto promised immediate implementation of a universal and non-contributory old age pension system that would assure a dignified amount, indexed to inflation, to the beneficiary. The government is yet to announce any action taken so far on this account.Development of Rural Areas of DelhiThe AAP had promised several measures for improving the quality of life of those living in rural areas of Delhi by providing better water supply, electricity, education and infrastructural facilities.The party has also committed to build 100 new schools, more veterinary hospitals and 50 new ambulances. It remains to be seen how many of these have been kick-started by the Delhi government thus far and how it plans to roll out these in the remaining time it has.Regularisation of Unauthorised ColoniesThe AAP has promised and fulfilled their promise to ban demolition of ‘Jhuggis’. Furthermore, the party had promised to regularise the unauthorised colonies within one year in office and give full ownership rights to all the valid residents who had built their structures.It must be said that CM Kejriwal remains committed to fulfilling these and some work has already been started. The party plans to mobilise the ‘Mohalla Sabhas’ to assist and coordinate the same at the local level.Mohalla SabhasTowards fulfilling his poll promise for ‘Swaraj’ in Delhi, CM Kejriwal has taken an initiate to start ‘Mohalla Sabhas’, which is one of the efficient ways of empowering people and involving them to take decisions on developmental issues that impact them most at the local level. As a concept, the attempt at involving people as a part of the planning and execution process at the local level is indeed admirable.To his credit, CM Kejriwal has shown serious intent towards this and directed his team to organise a series of ‘Mohalla Sabhas’ across Delhi. The initial reactions to the initiative have been mixed, with the RWAs expressing concern at the overlap of responsibilities and becoming marginalised in the process.The ‘Mohalla Sabhas’ have been entrusted with the coordination of several developmental issues at the local level, pertaining to regularisation and development of unauthorised colonies and slums.Going forward, the concept of ‘Mohalla Sabhas’ will need further refining for standardization of processes for identifying projects, debating viability, selecting contractors, ensuring quality material supply and finally doing work audit. All of these are yet to be addressed and unless addressed quickly, it will give rise to accusations and counter-accusations regarding favouritism and corruption in selection of contractors and quality of material supply and finally creating financial irregularity.Employment GenerationThe manifesto promised:Establishing technology incubators at the college and university levelProviding 3 million sq ft of affordable incubation spaceFilling 50,000 vacancies in government departments and other autonomous bodies in GNCTUndertaking on priority to skill one lakh youth per year for the first two years and then increase it to five lakh per year for the remaining three yearsActions on all the aforementioned points are yet to be taken. This year alone one lakh youth are to be skilled. With 100 Days already gone by, the government is going to be hard-pressed for funds and time to meet the promised targets on any of the above. The party has already opposed FDI in retail in Delhi. It remains to be seen what measures the Delhi government will take to attract investors to the state, for creation of new jobs, which is not just a necessity but a priority.Infrastructure DevelopmentThe AAP has promised to work towards making Delhi a modern and green city. Towards improving the public transportation system, the Delhi Metro will continue to get support of the Delhi government; however, the DTC remains a problem area. From fleet modernisation to reforms in recruitment including regularisation of contractual workers, all remain work in progress as only little work has been done so far.The state was to acquire modern air-conditioned buses to ease the pressure of traffic ; however, little progress has been made on this front. Availability of funds remains a problem.Jan LokpalThe AAP was formed on the anti-corruption plank and had committed itself to building an effective Jan Lokpal as top priority. This remains a desired goal but little progress has been made to get the required consensus to pass the Bill.There are several poll promises that require serious review. What’s next is whether people will allow the party to go back on its poll promises, even partially.Demand for Full Statehood for DelhiThe recent spat with the LG on the right of the state government to appoint bureaucrats has now led Team Kejriwal to push for the demand for full statehood for Delhi.CM Kejriwal realises that this is an opportunity for him to press for the demand as it resonates favourably with the people and will give him the requisite powers for more effective governance.This is not going to be easy by any means. If Arvind Kejriwal succeeds in his endeavour, he will emerge as a hero and remain one at the time of the next state elections and both the BJP and the Congress realise that. Therefore, in all probability, despite his attempts to get the Delhi Assembly to endorse his demand for full statehood, it will run into a wall when it reaches the Parliament. This, in turn, will force the CM back to taking the streets, something that he relishes, and try and emerge as both a victim and a hero for the cause of Delhi. His next moves will be closely watched by all the stakeholders.Narendra Modi vs. Arvind KejriwalSimilar Mandates,Contrasting Styles It was Arvind Kejriwal who wanted a comparison between the 100 days of the NDA with his 100 days in power. While a comparison between the two parties is difficult as they have differing mandates and scale, it is interesting to note that there are a lot of similarities between the rise of both the leaders in national politics, the popular support from the voters and the subsequent style of leadership. This comparison becomes inevitable given that both reside in the same city.Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of India after a long and successful stint at the state level, where he honed his political and administrative skills. His taking to politics at the national level was a huge step but he took it as a fish would take to water.In contrast, Arvind Kejriwal rose rapidly on the back of street-agitation politics. His lack of political understanding and administrative skills is seriously impeding his chances of emerging as a leader with a difference. He came into politics with the mandate of providing corruption-free administration with people participation and empowerment as his hallmark. However, he has not been able to inspire confidence or leadership among the bureaucrats working in his administration. In fact, many want to revert to central cadre.And finally, what do people of Delhi think of Kejriwal after 100 days?One thing remains clear and that is the Aam Aadmi of Delhi still believes and remains loyal to Arvind Kejriwal and what he stands for. In him, they see a David who cares and one who is willing to stand up to the Goliath in the Narendra Modi-led NDA at the centre.Despite not seeing much action on the ground, people do register the immediate power and water subsidy given by CM Kejriwal on taking office and continue to remain patient that he will deliver on most of his promises over time. Team Kejriwal also nurtures this sentiment and responds with good governance that the citizens of Delhi deserve and look forward to.

December 9: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh assured full support to Delhi government on implementing its odd-even scheme for plying of private vehicles in the city from 1 January. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said that his meeting with the Home Minister was very positive and he has got assurance of full support of Delhi Police as well.December 5: Describing the odd-even scheme as a drastic step that had to be taken to address the panic over pollution, Kejriwal said that it will be tried out for limited period of time and it will be stopped problems surface. He further said that Delhi’s roads will be vacuum-cleaned starting 1 April 2016.December 2: Delhi CM offered “fullest support” to people in Chennai after an unprecedented downpour created a flood-like situation. Arvind Kejriwal wrote to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa offering all resources at the disposal of the Delhi government to the flood-affected state.December 1: The AAP government passed a bunch of bills to bring major reforms in education system of Delhi. The Delhi School Education ( Amendment) Bill 2015 and The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Delhi Amendment) Bill are among the ones passed.November 28: The AAP government approved the proposal for a hike in salary and allowances of MLAs at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. In October, an independent panel appointed by the Delhi government had recommended over 400% increase in their basic salary.November 23: The BJP government at the Centre allotted Rs. 3,250 crore for decongesting and developing the national capital. After allotting an additional Rs. 96.7 crore for making Delhi cleaner, Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu praised Arvind Kejriwal for roping in three municipal bodies in Delhi for the week-long cleanliness drive.November 23: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party is not in the race for 2019 elections. Calling the Delhi win 'miraculous', Kejriwal said that the party is not here for power politics and it will keep working hard and with honesty.November 18: The Cabinet of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal cleared the Jan Lokpal Bill that meets the long-standing demand of the chief minister coming under the purview of the ombudsman. The Bill will be tabled in the Legislative Assembly for approval.November 13: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has launched a complaint against Delhi Police for not cooperating with the AAP government. In a letter sent to the MHA on 7 November, the Delhi government alleged that the police are “hounding” AAP MLAs by digging up old cases and slapping new ones against them.November 7: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the result of Bihar elections was a referendum against the Narendra Modi government. The people's verdict, according to AAP Chief, “has broken the Centre's arrogance”.November 5: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal ordered a probe against Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) chief MK Meena for allegedly intimidating his juniors in office. The probe will be based on the reports of misconduct or misbehaviour against Mukesh Meena.October 30: Arvind Kejriwal wrote an open letter in a national daily absolving his party of any responsibility for the garbage crisis in the wake of ongoing strike of municipal workers in the Delhi. The Delhi CM clarified that MCD workers are not on strike because of non-payment of dues.October 29: Arvind Kejriwal rallied in support of Nitish Kumar as Bihar was gearing up for the third phase of Assembly polls. He appealed to the people of Bihar to vote the incumbent Chief Minister to power. Kejriwal had publicly backed Kumar’s candidature since the beginning of the elections campaign.October 28: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal condemned the Delhi Police's "raid" at Kerala Bhavan after a complaint was lodged that its canteen was serving beef. Stating that Kerala house is a government establishment, he added that the raid was an attack on federal structure.October 22: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal led a cycle rally to mark the first ever 'Car-Free Day' in Delhi. Hundreds of people joined him in the cycle rally, which was held between Red Fort and Bhagwan Das Marg.October 17: After the ghastly incident of three rapes within a week, Kejriwal reiterated his demand for full authority over the police department. Besides shaming the repeated rape of minors, he also criticized the Delhi Police for completely failing to provide safety.October 15: The AAP government extended "full support" to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan after it announced its decision to launch a major drive on 21st and 22nd November to clean up Delhi of "all garbage and debris"October 9: Delhi CM sacked environment and food minister Asim Ahmed Khan for allegedly demanding a bribe of Rs. 6 lakh from a builder. Emphasizing AAP's zero-tolerance policy towards corruption, Kejriwal dared the BJP to sack its leaders – Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan – on corruption charges.September 30: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s efforts to bring all the CMs of the states together for a meeting to build a pressure group against PM Modi didn't yield a positive response. The CMs of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar intimated they would be unable to attend the function. Kejriwal was counting on non-BJP and non-Congress chief ministers to make the conclave a success.September 27: Arvind Kejriwal took at dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet project ‘Make in India’ by asserting that the focus should be on ‘Making India' rather than 'Make in India'. He argued that the Centre should concentrate on “providing proper infrastructure, rendering honest services and ensuring a conducive atmosphere for making India.September 26: Although Kejriwal has been locked in a tussle with Governor Najeeb Jung over several issues since AAP government came to power, the Delhi CM rallied in his support when BJP called for his removal. Describing him as a 'good man”, he added that removing Jung will not help sand the real solution lies in PMO not interfering in Delhi's affairs.September 25: After the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) announced its decision to keep the power tariff at the prevailing level for domestic consumers, AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal attributed this development to “honest politics” of the party. The AAP-led Delhi government had urged DERC to reduce the tariff or keep it at existing levels, till an audit of the discoms is finalised.September 23: Delhi chief minister described his former law minister Somnath Bharti as an “embarrassment” to his party, AAP. He added that Bharti should surrender in a case of domestic violence and attempt to murder filed by his wife. On the contrary, other senior AAP leaders had shown solidarity with Bharti.Day 200The AAP government in Delhi will start providing education loan from 8 September onwards. Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia, who also holds the Education portfolio, said that the needy students could avail loans from the date mentioned. He was attending a programme at the Talkatora Stadium when he said this. He said, “If any student has any problem pursuing education, Delhi government guarantees the solution and will pay the fees. Rs 10 lakh education loan will be provided to students from September 8”. According to the government's scheme, the needy students will be entitled to a maximum loan of Rs. 10 lakh to pursue higher studies.A list comprising the names of five judges was sent by the Kejriwal government to the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Justice G Rohini, in connection with the appointment of a new Lokayukta of Delhi. The Lokayukta can only be appointed after the consultation with the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court as per the provisions of the 'Delhi Lokayukta and Uplokayukta Act 1995'. According to the government sources, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was recently asked by the Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to send across proposed names for the post that has been lying vacant since November 2013.Day 199The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA launched an agitation against Delhi government on Tuesday. Pankaj Pushkar, AAP MLA from Timarpur, criticised Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his “neglect and substandard treatment of Sangam Vihar” area. While Pushkar demanded resolution of civic issues in Sangam Vihar, the party leadership refused to engage with the MLA. Pushkar had raised the issue twice in the Assembly but he was denied an opportunity to speak the third time.The Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal promised one lakh jobs in next one year and free Wi-Fi in colleges to the students of Delhi University that will have students union elections soon. During a star-studded event on Tuesday, Kejriwal also promised higher education loan scheme for the students.Day 198Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday that his government was planning to set up a special unit to address the issues faced by the students of northeastern states and ensure 'better resolution'. The proposed body will be called 'North East India Support Cell and Monitoring Committee'. He said this after meeting a delegation of the members of the northeastern states. Kejriwal said, “We will set up the cell immediately to have a better coordination and resolution of your issues. The cell will look into all your problems and demands, we will put people who understand your problems in the cell".The Delhi government on Monday took back the Law Ministry from Kapil Mishra and handed its charge to the second most senior minister in the government Manish Sisodia. This is the third time in last six and a half months that the AAP government changed its Law Minister. The charge of the Ministry first given to Jitendra Singh Tomar, who was replaced by Satyendra Jain. The AAP government said that there was no major reason why this was done as Mishra was already holding the Delhi Tourism Ministry and the charge of Jal Board. According to government sources, Kapil Mishra himself wanted that someone else becomes the Law Minister.Day 197AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the Delhi Power tariff issue, saying that the private discoms were charging way too much for power supply to Delhi. Kejriwal asked PM Modi to allow his government to terminate all existing power pacts with power generation companies so that the allegedly high tariffs can be brought down considerably. While launching the Power Amnesty Scheme in Vinod Nagar area of East Delhi, Kejriwal said “We have come to know that many power companies are ready to supply power at Rs. 2.5 to Rs. 3 per unit. When we can get electricity at this rate, why should we buy it for Rs. 5 or Rs. 5.50 per unit?”.Now the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus shelters in the National Capital will carry solar power panel over them as planned by the Delhi government. The AAP government plans to do so in order to meet the city's increasing power demand. The Kejriwal government was of the view that the solar power was the only solution in sight to satisfy Delhi's electricity requirements. Delhi's Power Minister Satyendra Jain said at the launch of the power amnesty scheme, “We are planning to install solar panel on the roofs of the city's bus shelters so that more electricity could be generated. Installation of solar panel on the roofs of bus shelters will help the government generate power. Besides, we will be self-reliant in generating electricity through solar power.Day 196Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi, was in Haridwar to celebrate the occasion of Raksha Bandhan with his sister. His sister, Dr. Ranjana Gupta, is employed with BHEL in Haridwar. She tied a Rakhi on Kejriwal's wrist who spent the whole day with her family. The Delhi CM reached the holy city by Shatabdi train on Saturday morning and returned by late evening. Kejriwal was accorded a grand welcome by AAP workers upon his arrival in Haridwar.Day 195Delhi Law Minister Kapil Mishra on Friday requested Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to pass the orders to file an FIR against former Delhi CM Sheila Dixit for her alleged involvement in Rs. 400-crore Tanker Scam. The minister and the Jal Board made the request after the 200-page report of the committees probing into Delhi water tanker scam came out. The Law minister handed over the report to Kejriwal on Friday.The AAP-led government in Delhi has asked the NDA government in the centre to resend Delhi's nomination for UNESCO World Heritage Cities in 2016, after the latter withdrew it for 2015. The Delhi government severely criticised the centre's move. “Delhi government had proposed ‘Delhi’s Imperial Capital Cities’ for nomination to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Cities. However, according to the UNESCO website, the Government of India withdrew the nomination just before the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee in Bonn, Germany, in 2015. There was no communication to the Delhi government in this regard” KK Sharma, Delhi's Chief Secretary wrote to the Secretary of the Ministry of Culture.A University Special (U-Special) bus, dedicated to serve the Delhi University students, was flagged off on Friday by Delhi's Transport Minister Gopal Rai. A government official said that the Transport Ministry decided to start the service when the minister met a delegation of students 10 days back. A Facebook post by Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS) said, “Taking prompt cognisance on a CYSS memorandum, Transport Minister Gopal Rai inaugurated ‘DU special’ bus service for the comfortable conveyance of DU students. CYSS is committed to raise the issues of students and the Delhi government is more than eager to give preferences to the demands of students, the future of our nation.Day 194Delhi's Power Minister, Satyendra Jain, on Thursday, said that the AAP government was working non-stop to fulfill Delhi's power requirements and install solar power plants in order to make power generation an eco-friendly exercise. The Minister said that these projects will get around 20% boost in work efficiency. The projects will generate 1,000 MW of power in next five years and around 2,000 MW by 2025. To achieve the set targets, the Delhi government will promote solar power plants based on the model of Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO).Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung, was not the elected government in the National Capital, the Kejriwal government told the Delhi High Court on Thursday. The AAP government said that the L-G was only supposed to act on the assistance and advice extended to him by the elected Council of Ministers. The government made this submission in front of a bench of Justice VP Vaish hearing the government's plea that challenged the May 21 notification from the Home Ministry allowing absolute powers to appoint bureaucrats to Najeeb Jung.Day 193Launching a direct attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Modi's Clean India campaign is a failure.Addressing a meeting in Patna, Kejriwal said that the NDA government is spending millions of rupees on advertisements related to the Swachh Bharat campaign but "not a single lane was clean". He also added that the youth were losing faith in the Central government.The Delhi BJP, on Wednesday, termed AAP government's decision of setting up a commission to probe into the CNG fitness scam as "retrogressive”. According to the Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly, Vijendra Gupta, the fact that the Delhi government going ahead with the its own commission despite the objection from the Home Ministry is “against the letter and the spirit of the Constitution of India”.Greenpeace India, on Wednesday, urged the Delhi Government to "capitalise" on the city's rooftop solar potential. It expects the AAP government to show commitment towards harnessing 2GW of solar power by 2025. Greenpeace also requested the AAP government to start implementing the draft solar policy presented at the Delhi Solar Roundtable Conference on 25 October.Day 192Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Chief Minister, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and complained to him that the Delhi Police was in an unwanted tussle with his government and it was time the PM intervened. “We feel as if Delhi Police is at war with Delhi government and this is not good”, he said while in conversation with media after he met Modi. Kejriwal also raised his concerns that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung was intentionally interfering in the functioning of the AAP government in the National Capital. He stressed the need of better communication with the Union Government saying, “I told PM that we will fulfil Swachh Bharat or Digital India in Delhi, but for that better communication with Centre is needed”.The AAP government told the High Court on Tuesday that within next ten days it would come up with new guidelines for radio taxi companies operating in Delhi. The guidelines will focus on setting rules and regulations for these companies to follow in connection with the safety of women and other passengers. The government told the High Court bench comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath that it was trying to make a few changes in the existing radio taxi scheme. The GPRS system will be mandatory, there will be a panic switch, and the Delhi Police will have the driver's full database with them according to the new guidelines.Day 191Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejrwal on Monday was urged by the leader of opposition, Vijendra Gupta of BJP, to dismiss his government's order of fixing an upper age limit for enrollments into the government schools. Gupta maintained that the AAP government's decision was against the very meaning and existence of the Right to Education Act. He said that a large number of students from slums and other economically backward sections will be deprived of the basic right to be educated. Gupta said, “The worst affected are the students belonging to weaker sections of the society whose parents have no regular source of income and fixed house to stay. It causes disruption in studies of their children, therefore, they are unable to get regular education as per their age... By fixing upper limit of the age, these children are not able to get admission in government schools”.The AAP government on Monday increased the number of mobile vans selling onions in Delhi at cheaper price in a bid to control the steep rise in onion prices in the National Capital. The Kejriwal government met the wholesale traders of the Azadpur Sabzi Mandi on Monday and urged them to sell onions at lower rates, to which the traders have responded positively. In a meeting held at the Delhi Secretariat, the traders told Delhi's Development Minister Gopal Rai and the Food and Supplies Minister Asim Ahmed Khan that they receive onion from the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh at varying rates. The prices have just started coming down as huge amount of onion has been imported from Egypt and Afghanistan.Day 190The Delhi government's proposal for hiking the salaries of its mid and senior-level officers has been turned down by the NDA-led central government. An utter displeasure over the AAP government's decision has been expressed by the Union Home Ministry. The Delhi government had decided to grant time-bound pay scales to the civil servants of the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Island Civil Services (DANICS). Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal confirmed the centre's move and said, “they will not do good work, neither will they let us”. While, maintaining that it was not consulted before issuing the orders, the MHA said, “(Home Ministery was) the competent authority to make any amendments in the DANICS Rules”.Prime Minister Narendra Modi was again at the receiving end when the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal lashed out at him and blamed him for the arrest of AAP MLA Surinder Singh. Kejriwal took to twitter to express his displeasure and wrote “The Modi government gets Commando Surinder arrested. In less than 24 hours, he gets bail. What is Modiji trying to achieve?” Surinder Singh is an MLA from the Delhi Cantonment constituency, who was arrested on Friday for allegedly thrashing and beating a NDMC worker on 4 August in the Tughlaq Road area.Day 189The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is mulling over the possibility of showing the door to the tainted members of the assembly. Amongst those who can be ousted are Jitender Singh Tomar, Pankaj Pushkar and Manoj Kumar. It is believed that the Kejriwal government is thinking of taking this action in a bid to improve its image that has taken a hit in recent times and re-instill people's faith in the government and the party. If a resolution against the three suspects is passed unanimously in the assembly and is accepted by the speaker, they will be expelled. An AAP member said, “We are a party with a difference and have zero tolerance to any kind of corruption and wrong doings. Two of the three persons have caused a severe dent in the party’s image”.Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday stressed the need to provide quality education for all to get the country rid of poverty. Addressing the students of the Delhi Public School, Noida, Kejriwal said that his government was committed and trying its best to improve the quality and standard of education in government schools. He said, “I have been coming to DPS for past 13 years as a parent. My daughter passed out from this school and my son Pulkit is a student of Class 9. As a proud parent I give credit to the school for grooming children into multi-faceted individuals”.Day 188The AAP government in Delhi on Friday decided to establish a new trauma centre and make stringent laws to punish the culprits behind the disasters and tragedies like those of Uphaar cinema and Bhopal Gas Tragedy. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said this to media after holding talks with the members of the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT). A day earlier, Chairperson of AVUT Neelam Krishnamurthy had urged the CM not to accept Rs. 60 crore from the Uphaar owners – Ansals – as compensation. However, a statement by the Delhi government said, “The CM is seeking a legal opinion on the matter and will take a considered decision, which will take into account sentiments of the victims’ families. The CM told the delegation that the government will appoint counsels in these cases only after consulting the families, and will do everything possible to fast-track these cases”.The Kejriwal government on Friday assured the people of Delhi that there was enough stock of onion with the Fair Price Shops and it will be sold at the prices as promised. The CM urged the people not to panic while the market price of onion has touched a whopping Rs. 80 per kg. The government had to face the heat at the hands of the opposition, which blamed the government for mismanagement of vegetable prices in the National Capital. The government, though, warned that the onion price might just go even higher. “Further spike in prices is expected both in wholesale and retail markets as the tight supply situation would continue in the wake of likely fall in kharif production and delay in arrival of the fresh crop”, an official said.Day 187A stay on the notification tripling the circle rates of the agricultural land in Delhi was refused on Thursday by the Delhi High Court. This came as a huge relief to the AAP government as the legality of the notification was challenged by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, while Congress leader Naresh Kumar filed a PIL seeking a stay on the notification. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath shied away from passing an interim order to stay the notification and said that the Delhi government's stand will be heard before any orders are passed. The Kejriwal government has got 23 September as the last date to file a reply to the plea.The parents of Meenakshi, the girl who was brutally stabbed and killed last month in the Anand Parbat area of Central Delhi, were handed over cheques worth Rs. 5 lakh on Thursday. The amount of compensation was announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last month when he visited the victim's house. Sandeep Kumar, Women and Child Development Minister, handed over the cheque to Meenakshi's parents.The Kejriwal-led government in Delhi was urged on Thursday by the kin of the victims of the 1997 Uphaar fire tragedy not to accept compensation of Rs. 60 crore. Having lost her children in the tragedy, Neelam Krishnamurthy said that she did not want the government to accept this amount as it was “blood money”. She said, “This is not compensation awarded to remove our trauma but it is, in fact, blood money. I have sought a meeting with CM Arvind Kejriwal tomorrow. Our representation to him requests his government to refuse the amount”. The Chairperson of the Association of Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), Krishnamurthy was of the view that money is not the solution of the problem, “Can the money ever be a substitute for losing your children? Let the Supreme Court utilise it for faster criminal justice system in the country, we would be satisfied with that. Delhi government has enough money to build a trauma centre”, she added. On 13 June 1997, a major fire broke out in the Uphaar cinema, which killed 59 people.Day 186Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, who earlier supported the stand and cause of the protesting FTII students, went an extra mile on Wednesday. He offered the agitating students to come to Delhi and hold their classes here. Kejriwal fired a series of tweets in which he said, “Delhi government can offer you space in Delhi to run your classes till the Centre agrees to your demand. If the Centre doesn't agree, we will create a full-fledged institute for students to continue here. An institute of international repute is being destroyed by Centre's wrong decisions”, he said in a number of tweets. The FTII students have been protesting against the appointment of actor and BJP leader Gajendra Chauhan as the chairman of the institute since 12 June.Under a plan to widen the National Highway number 24 (NH-24), the AAP government in Delhi has decided to strike down unauthorised roadside shanties in East Delhi. These slums fall in the Patparganj legislative assembly constituency from where the Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is the sitting MLA. However, the AAP had promised not to demolish any unauthorised colonies or slums when it re-assumed power in the National Capital, the locals claim. A notification regarding the demolition of these slums was issued about a month ago by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. One of the residents of the slums at Nehru Camp said, “We have been living here for the last 25-30 years but the government has suddenly asked us to vacate the land without any alternative arrangement. On the one hand, government has prohibited demolition of slums and on the other hand it is ready to bulldoze our houses. This action will leave us homeless”.Day 185The Delhiites may have to pay even lesser for electricity consumption if Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his government have their way. Arvind Kejriwal maintained on Tuesday that the power tariffs in the city should be further cut down as the three private discoms in Delhi have produced unduly inflated figures upto Rs. 8,000 crore as the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) suggests. The AAP government is also contemplating on seeking legal opinion before moving the court against the publication of the final report. Kejriwal said, “If whatever has come out is true, then it will be a very big thing. The scam of Rs 8,000 crore has surfaced. Delhiites will be benefited as tariff will have to be brought down. We have received a draft report and we are studying it. Let the final report come”.Anxious with the rapidly rising water level in the River Yamuna, the AAP-led Delhi government is trying to get its act together before its too late. Delhi Minister of Irrigation and Flood Control Gopal Rai paid a visit to the river and examined the ground situation. He also visited the Flood Control body located inside the Kashmiri Gate Bus Terminus building and issued orders to the officials to take necessary steps on time. The minister also directed the officials to keep a track of the amount of water being released from the Hathini Kund Barrage and its potential impact on Delhi. The officials were further asked to keep in touch and coordinate with the authorities in Haryana.Day 184Bihar Chief Minster Nitish Kumar will be the chief guest at the 'Bihar Samman Sammelan', which will be hosted by the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on 19 August. This move by the Delhi government is being seen as an apparent attempt to evince support for the JD (U) leader ahead of the crucial Bihar assembly polls. According to the Delhi government officials, Nitish Kumar will be the chief guest in the programme, which will be held to honour people working for the uplifting of Bihar but living in Delhi.While the face-off between the AAP-led Delhi government and the Delhi Police has already become a major concern, the latest statement by the PWD, which works under the purview of the state government, may just make it worse. The PWD, in a statement on Monday, said that it would no longer be able to look after the maintenance of the Delhi Police colonies in the National Capital. Lack of funds is what has been cited as a reason behind the PWD's alleged inability to look after the maintenance of the residential colonies. “We used to maintain the buildings. But now, we are cash-strapped and need funds. Moreover, the police buildings fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which should allocate funds. It has issued new directions that only fresh constructions will be funded by the ministry and that we should forget our dues”, a PWD official said.Day 183The AAP government in Delhi, which had earlier given 50 per cent subsidy in electricity tariff, has decided to waive off electricity bills of defaulters with an aim at bringing relief to those who are facing disputes with the power companies (discoms). The government will launch a one-time settlement scheme. Under this scheme, the criminal and civil proceedings related to electricity disputes will be withdrawn.The Kejriwal government created yet another controversy after it appointed 'tainted' bureaucrat Kamal Malhotra as the Deputy Labour Commissioner. According to a news daily, the officer was twice fined by the Union Government for alleged irregularities. The decision to rope him in was criticised even by the existing staff in the department.The Delhi government plans to conduct the first ever tree census in the city with an aim at protecting its green cover. According to a government official, the Public Grievances Commission had recently recommended the government to carry out tree census in the city. “"However, such a massive census can not be done by the government alone and involvement of Residents' Welfare Associations and civic agencies will be crucial in this endeavour”, the official said.The Delhi government is planning a scheme to rehabilitate children begging at traffic signals and streets. The government is reportedly planning a committee that will conduct inspections on the streets. The members of the committee will interact with street children and persuade them to get into child care institutions.Day 182Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attended the Independence Day celebrations on Saturday and for the first time unfurled the Indian Tricolour at the Chhatrasal Stadium in the National Capital. He was expected to announce a few plans for the city for the time to come, but he highlighted the achievements of his government during the six-month tenure in Delhi. He also attacked the previous governments over a number of issues. Kejriwal stressed the need of working closely with the Centre as well. During his Chief Ministerial speech at the function, Kejriwal hinted that the power tariffs in Delhi might be reduced further very soon. Although, in a serious tussle with the NDA led government in the Centre, Kejriwal was all praise for two of its Union Ministers. He praised the Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti, who recently expressed her willingness to see him to lay down a structured plan for the rejuvenation of river Yamuna. He also lauded Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for announcing an additional five lakh rupees each as compensation for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots with the expenses being borne by the Centre.The AAP led Delhi government found itself in the middle of yet another controversy when CM Arvind Kejriwal's name appeared in the stands of the Chhatrasal Stadium because of the way the seating arrangements for the students were made. It was criticised alike by not only the Congress party leaders but also Kejriwal's former associates and AAP leaders Yogendra Yadav and Prashant Bhushant . However, the AAP government said that nothing was wrong with it as this has been done by the previous governments and in the same manner. The BJP, the main opposition in the Delhi Assembly, pronounced the incident as the CM's self-propaganda, which demeaned the sanctity of Independence.