This is the first post in a series on “AAP Delhi Manifesto 2015”
The Aam Aadmi Party was formed in the wake of a popular movement across the country for the creation of a strong and effective Lokpal to tackle corruption in high places. Heralding a new era of clean politics, AAP had a remarkable first electoral outing supported by the citizens of Delhi, which led to the first ever AAP government in Delhi. Unfortunately, the AAP government was defeated on the floor of the Delhi Assembly on February 14, 2014, when the BJP and the Congress joined hands to vote against the introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill. The government led by Arvind Kejriwal decided to resign when it became clear that the Congress and the BJP would not allow the minority government of AAP to set up an independent and autonomous ombudsman.
However, 49 days were enough for AAP to show the common man what good governance is. If you’d like to have a detailed look at our work, have a look at this post. Whilst our work or style or manner of governance can be disagreed with, something that even our opponents respect us for, is that we implemented all its poll promises in a time-bound manner. Some of them are listed below:
- Electricity bills for usage up to 400 units were halved.
- An independent CAG audit of power discoms was ordered.
- Twenty kilolitres or 20,000 litres of lifeline water every month was made free.
- The water mafia was reined in and there was a crackdown on corruption in the Delhi Jal Board and all other government departments. The schedule of water tanker operations was made publicly available for the benefit of the citizens.
- Three FIRs were registered in scams related to Delhi Jal Board. Also 800 Delhi Jal Board employees were transferred and three senior officials were suspended.
- Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail was rolled back to protect traders and prevent the loss of jobs.
- The common man had a say in the implementation of MLA development funds through Mohalla Sabhas conducted by AAP MLAs.
- An SIT was ordered to provide justice to victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh killings.
- 5500 new auto permits were issued to members of the Scheduled Caste and Tribes, thus providing self-employment to deprived sections.
- An anti-corruption helpline was set up encouraging the citizens to identify instances of corruption and report them to law enforcement. This resulted in several officials being caught. More importantly, there was credible deterrence amongst the officials, which brought about a substantive decrease in the acts of corruption in the city.
- The “VIP” culture, a legacy from the British Raj, was abolished. No cars with red beacons, no special privileges for ministers were just some of the things that had been brought to a halt by our government
- Fulfilling our commitment to the people working on contracts a committee was set up to make their jobs permanent.
- An FIR was registered against RIL Chairperson Shri Mukesh Ambani, former Union Petroleum Ministers M Veerappa Moily and Murli Deora and former DG Hydrocarbons VK Sibal in KG D6 scam.
- Rs 21 crore was disbursed in the form of education scholarships.
- An FIR was registered in CWG street lighting scam.
Thus, unlike our political parties, we hold ourselves to a higher standard, and consider our poll promises to be enforceable and sacred. Our manifesto will have 2 components: a detailed blueprint for every sector and people, and a 70-point action plan that will be enacted by the government with topmost priority. And these will be implemented as soon as we get back to power.
‘What we say is what we do’ was the creed that the AAP government lived by.
We continue to live by that creed.
In a series of blogposts, I will blog about the rationale, research and promises made by the Aam Aadmi Party in its manifesto for the Delhi elections 2015.
Happy reading!
AAP Delhi Manifesto 2015
My Experiments with Politics and Policy In India 