Chief Minister of Delhi, Shri Arvind Kejriwal today greeted the people on the occasion of celebrating the 71st Independence Day at a function organized by Delhi Government at Chhatrasal Stadium where he unfurled the Tricolour- National Flag.
CM Kejriwal unfurls the flag
The Deputy Chief Minister, Shri Manish Sisodia, Health Minister, Shri Satyendar Jain, Labour Minister, Shri Gopal Rai, Environment Minister, Shri Imran Hussain, Minister of SC/ST welfare, Shri Rajender Pal Gautam, Deputy Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, Rakhi Birlan, a number of MLAs, Acting Chief Secretary, Shri S.N. Sahai & senior Officers of Delhi Government were also present on this occasion.
The Chief Minister inspected the parade in the state level function and took the Guard of Honour from the contingents of Delhi Police, Civil Defence, Delhi Fire Service, DDMA, NCC & Schools Children.
The Chief Minister also awarded medals to five officers and Ex-officers of Delhi Fire Services for their distinguished services. These officers included Shri P.S Dahiya, Ex. Asst. Divisional Officer, Shri Ved Chikara, Asst. Divisional Officer, Shri Narendra Singh, Station Officer, Shri Surender Kumar, Leading Fire man and Singh B. M. Pawar, Asst. Wireless Officer.
Shri Kejriwal said that in the last 70 years we have been working hard to realize the dream of India as a great nation. We have achieved a lot; however, a lot more remains to be accomplished. The world is changing fast, new challenges are emerging and we have to overcome these challenges and continue with faster pace on the path of progress and prosperity. This solemn occasion is the time for all of us to reflect upon how each of us can contribute to the cause of building our great nation in our unique way.
The Chief Minister said that Delhi Government is the first Government of India carry out a comprehensive outcome Budget 2017-18. This will prove to be a milestone in bringing openness and accountability in public spending. The primary goal of the Government in the past two and half years have been to provide the best possible facilities in Education and Healthcare to all citizens to Delhi. 38 % of the total Budget 2017-18 has been allocated only for education and health sectors. By doing show we have been able to improve our education and healthcare facilities in the capital.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Kejriwal stressed upon the need to make the citizens “smart” first and then think for making the “smart cities” and “smart villages”.
He said that the Citizens can become smart, only when they will be provided with better education, extending proper healthcare facilities, imparting them skill education and inculcating in them the feeling of patriotism and love for the country.
There after the villages and cities will automatically become smart cities and smart villages, Shri Kejriwal said.
He said that during the 70 years after achieving freedom, the respective Governments spent a very less part of the Budget on educating the people and extending and providing proper Healthcare and facilities to them. He said Delhi Government has spent 38 percent of the Budget on the education and better Health services for the people with the result school education and Health care and Health facilities improved and upgraded.
The Chief Minister Said that to improve the quality of education in Government Schools, the Government has taken measures to upgrade the professional skill of the teachers. An integrated approach was adopted for capacity building by SCERT, whereby apart from innovative in house capacity building prorammes the 89 Head of Schools were given exposure to various National & International Institutions of repute viz. Cambridge University, U.K & leadership training programme for 57 HOS(Head of Schools) at IIM Lucknow, IIM Ahmedabad & National University of Educational Planning & Administration (NUEPA). SCERT has also organized around 1 lakh capacity building programmes of School Management Committees (SMC).
He Said that we will prepare the students to learn skill to become self reliant so that they can earn livelihood and can give employment to other youth also. We have established a world class skill centre in Vivek Vihar and we will establish 25 more world class skill centers in Delhi, where the government will be able to impart skill training to 25000 students. The Chief Minister said that the Government School recorded pass percentage of 88.27% and Rashtriya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalays recorded a pass percentage 99.72% at the 12th level and 92.44% at 10th level during the academic session in 2016-17. 372 Govt. School students passed the JEE main examination.
He said that Delhi Government has taken several patient centric initiatives during past few months. Major achievements and initiatives have been taken up:-
I. All Essential Drugs as per essential drug list are provided free of cost to all patients attending the public health facilities of Delhi Govt.
II. Laboratory diagnostics services are provided free of cost to all patients attending the Mohalla Clinics of Delhi Govt.
III. The radiological services such as MRI, CT, PETCT, Radior Nuclear Scan, Ultrasound, Color Doppler, Echo, TMT, EEG and EMG are being provided free of cost to all residents of Delhi at 23 NABH accredited DGEHS empanelled radiological centres subject to referral from the public health facilities of Delhi Govt.
IV. Free high end Radiological diagnostics for 11 tests by empanelling 23 Private Diagnostic centers for which 30 Delhi Government Hospitals and 25 Polyclinics have been authorized to refer the patients to these 23 empanelled Diagnostic centers.
V. Free surgery scheme for 52 surgeries by 48 empanelled Private Hospitals for which 24 Delhi Government Have been authorized to refer the patients to these 48 empanelled Private Hospitals
VI. Free dialysis service is provided in 3 hospitals with sixty dialysis machines viz. Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital (RGSSH), Lok Nayak Hospital (LNH) and Dr. Headgewar Arogya Sansthan (DHAS).
VII. To achieve the target to setup 1000 “Aam Admi Mohalla Cinic” in different part of Delhi, the government has made a special drive of land inventory so that the target can be achieved.
VIII. At present, 23 Polyclinics are functioning. Further a proposal has been initiated to establish more polyclinics in current financial year.
IX. Delhi Government’s aim is to raise the total bed strength from 10000 beds to 20000 beds in its hospitals for providing better health care services to citizens of Delhi. In view of this the following hospital projects have been taken up;
(a) Hospital –Cum-Medical College at Dwarka.
(b) Hospital at Burari
(c) Hospital at Ambedkar Nagar
X. “Home to Hospital care” Ambulance Services Scheme has been launched by Govt. of Delhi. Under this scheme CATS ambulances are providing free ambulance services for all kind of medical emergencies at doorstep. At present.
Chief Minister appealed people to fight against dengue and Chikungunya in the capital.
Lambasting at the labour contractors, the Chief Minister warned the contractors to mend their habits of siphoning the wages of the labours and provide them minimum wages as per rule. He said that he has received a number of complaints from the labours that the contractors are exploiting them to the extent that they give them less money of their wages and get their signatures on bigger amount which was accruable to them. To curb this menace of exploitation of the labour in the hands of the contractors, the Chief Minister said that Delhi Government is planning to create regular/permanent jobs for the labours which are engaged in need based work of 365 days.
The Chief Minister sought the co-operation of all the political parties and Lt. Governor of Delhi in this mission.
He also stressed upon the need for ensuring women security in the society with deterrence. He said the people involved in crime against women should be dealt with hard punishment irrespective of his position and status.
The Chief Minister expressed his concern over the hatred prevailing in the society in the name of religion, caste, creed and lynching of human being. He said that such feeling of hatred is weakening our society and is against the spirit of the constitution.
Shri Kejriwal concluded his speech with a song “ Hai Preet Jahan Ki Reet Sada, main Geet wahan ke Gata Hoon, Bharat Ka rahane walan Hoon, Bharat Ki baat Sunata Hoon”.
