In Delhi’s AAP Cabinet 3.0, CM Arvind Kejriwal reassigns key depts of water, environment

CM Arvind Kejriwal will not head any department. He has assigned water ministry to Satyendar Jain and environment to senior AAP leader Gopal Rai.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Monday kick-started its third term in Delhi with chief minister Arvind Kejriwal making minor changes in the portfolios of his cabinet ministers. Kejriwal reassigned the key water and environment departments, which will work on two key pre-poll promises of the AAP — clean, regular water supply and curbing air pollution in the national capital.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal will not head any department in his third term (Mohd Zakir/HT PHOTO)

Under the new set-up, Satyendar Jain will administer the water department and Gopal Rai will be the environment minister. Rajendra Pal Gautam was given the women and child development department. All other departments and portfolios will continue to be with the same ministers as they were in the last government. In the last cabinet, water department was headed by Kejriwal while Kailash Gahlot was the environment minister.

Kejriwal will not head any department in his third term. “The chief minister wants to be invested in all major projects and schemes of the Delhi government that he will closely monitor keeping in mind the stipulated deadlines. He will also maintain a direct contact with citizens by regularly tracking public grievances. Be it during the 49-day AAP government in 2013 or the 2015 stint, he has never held on to any particular department. It was only in September 2017 that he took over as the water minister because grievances in the sector were piling up,” a senior officer in the chief minister’s office said on the condition of anonymity.

Jain, also the city’s health, home, power and urban development minister, will now be the chairperson of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). He said his top priority will be to fulfil the AAP’s key election promise of providing round-the-clock clean drinking water to the people. He will also be responsible for making all electricity lines in the city underground – one of the promises made by Kejriwal in his 10-point guarantee card released ahead of the February 8 assembly elections.

“There is no national capital in the world which does not provide 24x7 power and water. We are already providing 24x7 electricity and now we will ensure uninterrupted water supply. Water pipeline network in Delhi has gone up from 57% to 93% since the AAP took over in 2015. We will fill the gaps in this term. In the health care sector, we will add 15,000 new beds in Delhi government hospitals,” Jain said, adding that he will be heading eight departments in total in his new tenure.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who is credited with transforming government schools in Delhi, too will administer eight departments, including education, finance, tourism, vigilance, services and art and culture. After taking charge on Monday, Sisodia said he is aiming to introduce the “deshbhakti (patriotism)” curriculum in schools by July. The curriculum, which was a part of the AAP’s manifesto, would help build “a class of patriotic citizens”, he said.

“We have to continue work on improving school infrastructure. Installing CCTV cameras in schools and building new classrooms for students will go on. My top priority will also be to expedite the process of setting up two universities — the Delhi Skills and Entrepreneurship University, and the Sports University,” he said.

Rai will be in-charge of five departments, including environment and labour. On Monday, he said his top priority will be to find lasting solutions to curb air pollution with the use of data.“The Delhi government in collaboration with Washington University will start giving out real-time data identifying area-wise sources of air pollution in the city from April. So, this will help us execute area-specific solutions. Cleaning the Yamuna will also be undertaken at war-footing,” he said.

Kailash Gahlot and Rajendra Pal Gautam will head five departments each. While Gahlot will continue as the city’s transport, revenue and law minister, Gautam got the charge of the women and child development (WCD) department in addition to being the social welfare and SC/ST minister. The WCD department was previously with Sisodia.

“Free bus travel to students, as promised in our guarantee card, will be the first thing that we will implement. Besides, procurement of 4,300 new buses is already in the pipeline,” said Gahlot.

Guatam said, “Anganwadis will be improved in a big way and the workers will be given better facilities.”

Imran Hussain, who at 38 is the youngest minister in the Kejriwal cabinet, will continue to be the food and civil supplies minister. “Doorstep delivery of ration will be started in about six months,” he said.