Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit has termed her conscious decision to function in harmony with Union governments of the time as the reason for being able to govern the city successfully for three terms since 1998.
“The ultimate aim was to upgrade Delhi and make it a befitting capital of our country,” she wrote in her coffee table book, ‘Dilli Meri Dilli – Before and After 1998’. This observation has been widely interpreted as a reference to the ongoing acrimony between the Arvind Kejriwal government and the Centre.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh served as prime ministers of the country during her 15-year tenure as chief minister.
Dikshit wrote that Delhi, being the national capital, has a complicated system of administration. “As it is not a fully fledged state, dependence on the government of India is inevitable (I suppose it should be, because it is the nation’s capital). Land does not come under the Delhi government. Nor does the state government have any say in managing law and order,” she elaborated.
The pictorial book traces the evolution of Delhi over the centuries, and seeks to put in perspective its transformation since the start of the new millennium. It also lists Dikshit’s achievements in education, healthcare, provision of safe drinking water, housing, road infrastructure (including the construction of 85 flyovers and 69 footbridges) and upgradation of transport facilities (introduction of the Metro) during her tenure.
{{/usCountry}}The pictorial book traces the evolution of Delhi over the centuries, and seeks to put in perspective its transformation since the start of the new millennium. It also lists Dikshit’s achievements in education, healthcare, provision of safe drinking water, housing, road infrastructure (including the construction of 85 flyovers and 69 footbridges) and upgradation of transport facilities (introduction of the Metro) during her tenure.
{{/usCountry}}The book – published by Palimpsest – has 21 segments, including culture, sports, environment, health, heritage, education, gender equality and evolution of a city. Among those who have commented on Dikshit’s tenure in the book are Metro man E Sreedharan, cricketer Virender Sehwag, historian Kapila Vatsyayan, environmentalist Sunita Narain, author Sadia Dehlvi and activist V Mohini Giri.
“You cannot let Delhi down, the greatest of rulers reigned from here. As chief minister, I listened to this voice and tried my best for 15 years,” the former chief minister said.