(Ashutosh joined the Aam Aadmi Party in January 2014. The former journalist took on former Union minister Kapil Sibal and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan in the national election from Chandni Chowk in Delhi.)
The Modi government has completed more than 300 days in office. The so-called honeymoon period should have been over by now, and tough questions should be asked about its non-performance and non-delivery, but political pundits are busier putting these questions to AAP. I don't know if it is because of genuine affection for AAP and hope from Arvind Kejriwal, or out of fear of the Modi government. I am not denying the fact that any government should be asked tough and tricky questions, be it led by Modi or Arvind. I am just asking for a level playing field. How the Modi government has performed will be judged by history, but before I move on, I can't resist saying that no other government has disappointed people more than the present one.
Yes, it is true that its recent crisis has dented the image of the Aam Aadmi Party, and it will take some time to get over it. But it is equally true that it has not affected the functioning of the government in any way. This time, we were clear that the government and party will have separate identities and will work in their own domains, and roles will not get mixed up. So when the crisis was on, the party took the field and defended and fought its internal rift, and the government did not get involved. No wonder many people were asking why the Chief Minister was not speaking, and why other members of the cabinet were quiet.
The second regime of AAP presents a new formula for governance. Three things were done:
1. Arvind does not hold charge of any ministry. It is an attempt to keep himself free, and work as a mentor of the government. And also to coordinate with different ministries and keep a keen eye on their functioning. And ministers should also know that the Big Boss is watching them.
2. Then, 21 MLAs were assigned to assisting ministers and helping them get better inputs and solutions for governance in their respective departments. This is a unique experiment which will help the government to have a more broad-based understanding of the issues related to ministries, and also help grow a second rung of leadership.
3. The Delhi Dialogue Commission has been created which will work as the think tank for the government. This commission has been asked to look for out-of-the-box solutions by interacting with experts or through crowd-sourcing. Many innovative ideas were provided to the leadership by our volunteers and sympathizers -an innovation that has changed the landscape of Indian politics.
I agree that there is a myth that those who lead movements are not equally competent administrators but this three-tier arrangement has augmented our resolve to present an alternate model of governance. And the initial 50 days proves this has allowed the government to work in a crisis situation without being affected.
While the Modi government has been struggling to fulfill its promises, AAP has already delivered on three key issues. It has been our commitment to make electricity available at half the price and water free of cost, and also curb corruption. The first two have already been done. Water supply has also improved tremendously in those areas where there is a serious water problem. The 'Tanker mafia' is on the way out in areas like Dwarka and Sangam Vihar and the availability of tankers has improved, though a lot still has to be done.
On the 5th of April, the Anti-Corruption Helpline (1031) was launched. It is AAP's promise to make Delhi the first corruption-free state in India. More than 10,000 calls can be entertained daily and the helpline will work 24/7 and 365 days. After processing each call, genuine complaints will be sent to the Anti Corruption Bureau. And let's not forget that the Modi government has withdrawn in July 2014 the directive issued nearly two decades ago, which enabled the Anti Corruption Branch to proceed against central government employees too. This was an attempt to weaken the drive against corruption, but the AAP government has already passed a resolution in the assembly to restore that directive. Let's hope the central government also shows its resolve to fight corruption.
Some fundamental attempts are being made to reform health services. Hospitals are known for fleecing the Aam Aadmi by charging exorbitant prices, and a standardization of prices is a need of the hour. The Government is working in this direction. Big hospitals are given land for peanuts in lieu of reserving 25% of beds for economically weaker sections of the society, but they don't do so, and these beds are sold to rich ones. The government is working to find a permanent solution to this issue.
But let me assure you that this is just a beginning. AAP is committed to an alternate model of politics and governance which will set new benchmarks in Indian politics.
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