Delhi: Tony Blair meets Rekha Gupta to discuss governance, urban reforms

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta met Tony Blair to discuss governance, urban development, and education reforms, highlighting Delhi's progress and future collaborations.

Chief minister Rekha Gupta met former British prime minister Tony Blair on Thursday at the Delhi Secretariat where the two discussed governance, urban development and education reforms, the chief minister’s office (CMO) said in a statement. The two also discussed India-UK relations and global democratic challenges, officials added.

Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa with former UK prime minister Tony Blair at the Delhi Secretariat on Thursday. (HT Photo)

Blair is the founder of the think tank Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI).

“The chief minister held discussions with Blair on the ongoing transformational efforts in digital governance, education, healthcare, and environmental reforms in Delhi. The chief minister shared how the Delhi government is working under the vision of a ‘Viksit Dilli’ to modernise education, healthcare, women empowerment, and urban infrastructure with a citizen-centric approach,” the CMO said.

Gupta described the meeting as a positive experience for her government. “The meeting was a golden opportunity for Delhi, and TBI and the Delhi government will explore ways to transform Delhi into a model city. We held discussions on administrative reforms, the use of technology, and collaborative efforts for citizen welfare,” she added.

Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also met Blair, and said that Gupta and Blair discussed various services being delivered through NGOs by Blair. “The CM shared a booklet highlighting the government’s achievements in just 100 days. Blair was surprised by the scale and speed of progress over the 100 days, remarking that other governments should take inspiration from how Indian state governments are performing,” he added.

“Blair also shared his experiences in governance during his tenure as British PM, the changes he brought and how five-six projects were highlighted. Blair expressed interest in Delhi’s rapid roll out of health services and said he looks forward to seeing them on his next visit,” Sirsa said.