Delhi to get 10,000 CCTV cameras, 10 gaushalas, street dog shelters: CM Rekha Gupta at R-Day event
New Delhi (PTI): In her maiden address at the Delhi state Republic Day function on Sunday, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta asserted that the city needs to become India's strongest economic hub.
Addressing the function at the Chhatrasal Stadium, she said the India-EU trade deal, which could be announced this week, could benefit Delhi by opening doors for the city's Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector to millions of consumers in European Union countries.
The state's Republic Day event is held annually on January 25.
Gupta highlighted her government's work in the past 11 months in Delhi, presenting her report card in healthcare, education, infrastructure, ease of doing business, social welfare, transportation, and rural development, among others.
She noted that years of "chaos and instructions" proved to be the "biggest challenges" when she took charge as chief minister in February 2025, but her government, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of 'Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas', has brought real changes on the ground through various welfare measures.
She said that under the 'Safe City Project', the Delhi government will install 10,000 advanced CCTV cameras across the city. Installation of one lakh smart LED lights is underway, and 53 fast-track courts and hybrid courtrooms were also set up, she stated.
After the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat health scheme in Delhi, 6.5 lakh persons have been registered so far, and more than 20,000 people benefited from it, Gupta informed
The government has also set up over 300 Ayushman Arogya health centres in the city, she said, adding that the government has adopted the triple 'A' (advanced, affordable, accessible) model to benefit the Delhi people.
In the education sector, the government passed the Delhi Education Act to check arbitrary fee hikes by private schools to benefit lakhs of parents and students.
An education hub in Narela is being developed with Rs 13,00 crore, and smart classrooms, digital libraries and language labs are being set up in government schools, the chief minister said.
Gupta mentioned that the government has set up 50 Atal canteens, providing meals for 50,000 needy individuals daily for Rs 5 each. Plans are in place to increase this number to 100,000 meals per day.
The Delhi government will also set up 10 gaushalas (cow shelters) for which land has been identified. It is also working on street dog shelters as well as sterilisation and vaccination of the canines, she said.
The chief minister expressed her commitment to making Delhi a "capital of ideas" through initiatives aimed at fostering a vibrant startup ecosystem. She noted that the memorandum of understanding signed with the Reserve Bank of India will ensure adequate funds for developmental projects.
The government is paying special attention to rural pockets of the national capital and allocated Rs 1,700 crore for various development work, while it also allotted Rs 700 crore for better civic infrastructure in the slum clusters, Gupta said.
The government is also working in a planned way to address "legacy issues" like Yamuna cleaning, garbage dumps and pollution in the city, she said.
Plans to strengthen the public transport fleet include adding 11,000 e-buses over the next three years and expanding the metro rail network from the current 396 km to 500 km, Gupta said.
Gupta appealed to residents to cooperate with the Delhi government’s initiatives for city development. She urged private establishments to adopt solar power, implement rainwater harvesting, and utilise decentralised sewage treatment plants.
The chief minister also urged people to use clean fuel-driven vehicles and use public transport to contribute to the government's efforts towards a "clean and green Delhi."
During the state-level ceremony at Chhatrasal Stadium, the chief minister hoisted the national flag and took the salute at the parade, extending Republic Day greetings to the nation and the people of Delhi. She reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to the Constitution, democracy, and national unity.
Personnel from the Delhi Police, fire service and other departments who displayed exemplary courage and dedication to duty were honoured with medals.
The ceremony also featured vibrant cultural performances reflecting India's diversity and patriotic spirit.
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Rupee hits all-time low for second time in a week
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 31 paise to settle at 91.99 against the US dollar on Wednesday, touching the lowest closing level for the second time in less than a week, amid increased month-end demand for the greenback.
Forex traders said the rupee opened higher as the US dollar index softened and a long-awaited trade breakthrough with Europe offered quiet reassurance. However, increased month-end demand for the American currency as well as the ongoing geopolitical tensions dented investors' sentiments.
At the interbank foreign exchange, the rupee opened at 91.60 and touched an early high of 91.50, but pared all the gains to touch an intra-day low of 91.99 against the greenback.
The domestic unit settled 31 paise down, revisiting its lowest-ever closing level of 91.99 against the greenback. The Indian currency previously ended at this level on January 23 when it also hit its all-time intraday low of 92 against the US dollar.
On Tuesday, the rupee rebounded from its all-time low levels and gained 22 paise to close at 91.68 against the US dollar.
Analysts said the rupee opened higher as the US dollar index softened and a long-awaited trade breakthrough with Europe bolstered investor sentiment.
India and the European Union on Tuesday announced the conclusion of negotiations for the free trade agreement (FTA), under which a number of domestic sectors such as apparel, chemicals and footwear will get duty-free entry into the 27-nation bloc, while the EU will get access to the Indian market at concessional duty for cars and wines, an official said.
The deal has been dubbed the "mother of all deals" as it will create a market of about 2 billion people.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.07 per cent lower at 96.14.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.43 per cent lower at USD 67.28 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 487.20 points to settle at 82,344.68, while Nifty surged 167.35 points to 25,342.75.
Foreign Institutional Investors turned net buyers and purchased equities worth Rs 480.26 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
