Projects stuck due to non-cooperation of AAP government: Harsh Vardhan
New Delhi, June 19: Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday said that projects in his parliamentary constituency Chandni Chowk, including the Shahjahanabad redevelopment plan, are stuck due to non-cooperation of Delhi's AAP government.
He also said that much-awaited Rani Jhansi flyover in north Delhi will be completed by August this year.
Asked about works stuck in his constituency, he said that two of his pet projects - the Shahjahanabad redevelopment plan and under-grounding of electric cables in Chandni Chowk - could not be accomplished as the Arvind Kejriwal government did not cooperate.
"We followed up the Shahjahanabad redevelopment plan aggressively, I also met Lt Governor (Anil Baijal) and he was interested but the Delhi government backed out. I also met Chief Minister but he was reluctant," said Harsh Vardhan.
He further added that another project for removing all the hanging electricity wires and cables in crowded Chandni Chowk area could not be accomplished because of the "attitude" of the Delhi government.
"We were in talks with the Union Power ministry and Delhi government... the mechanism is such that you got to have their (Delhi government) support... but after few meetings, the AAP government representatives stopped coming to the meetings," he said.
Citing his achievements in his constituency, Harsh Vardhan said these included opening over 50 open gyms, and a skill development centre for Muslim girls at Jama Masjid Police Station.
"Eighty more gyms are are planned, besides 35 to be developed with cooperation with DDA (Delhi Development Authority)," he said.
The Union Minister also disclosed his plan to provide separate facilities to women in the open gyms so that they are not deprived of the facility due to long queues in parks.
He said that around 237 projects were in different phases of progression in his constituency and will be visible in next one year.
"People had been walking in my house for past 25 years to get their issues resolved and they don't have to take any appointment... this the kind of public dialogue our government promotes," Harsh Vardhan added.
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Karnataka Lokayukta to register case, probe Bowring wall collapse
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Lokayukta Justice B S Patil on Thursday took serious note of the compound wall collapse at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in the city that killed seven people, and announced registration of a case on its own while warning of action against officials found responsible.
The Lokayukta, who visited the site and conducted an inspection, expressed strong displeasure over the incident and questioned the inaction of authorities, even as police and emergency teams had earlier rushed to the spot to rescue victims trapped under the debris following heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
“I will now register a suo motu case. This is not just about this one incident — such incidents must not occur anywhere in the state or the city in the future,” Justice Patil told reporters.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed as rain-battered victims had taken shelter near it, according to police. The victims included people from Kerala who were in the city on a study tour.
Calling for systemic accountability, the Lokayukta said, “Dilapidated buildings and weakened compound walls, especially in areas with public access, must first be identified. They must either be repaired, demolished, or rebuilt.”
He added that responsibility would be fixed on officials of the BBMP and the concerned departments.
Justice Patil said that hearings would be conducted and preventive action initiated, while also probing those responsible for it, how the incident could have been prevented, and why it was not prevented.
A Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team and a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team also inspected the site, while police cordoned off Kovil Street to facilitate the probe.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the government had initiated measures following the rain-related incidents and stressed preparedness.
“Since last night we have initiated measures regarding the rains. When it rains heavily, we must be prepared, and we are working towards that,” he told reporters here.
On the wall collapse, Shivakumar said, “I will not directly blame any officials. It was an old wall, and trees had grown alongside it. Due to that pressure, it collapsed.”
The Deputy CM said instructions had been issued to identify such vulnerable structures and clear areas around them, including relocating street vendors.
Karnataka Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil said a technical assessment had been ordered.
“This is a very serious matter. Innocent people have been affected. We are issuing directions to the engineers to find out why this compound wall collapsed and to assess its structural strength,” he told reporters after inspecting the spot.
The Minister noted that the wall was ‘very old’ and required thorough examination to prevent recurrence.
Speaking to reporters, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked the Karnataka government to take precautions to ensure that incidents like the collapse of the Bengaluru government hospital compound wall, which caused loss of life, should not repeat.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad said the collapse raised questions about construction and maintenance practices.
“If a wall collapses within 25 years of its construction, it needs to be examined -- whether there was any technical issue, or if anything was altered inside, weakening it. All this can only come out through a technical investigation,” he said.
The Congress MLA also called for wider structural audits across the city, stating that all such structures, whether private or government, must be audited.
He urged citizens to support victims, saying it was a collective responsibility in times of crisis.
