New Delhi, June 10 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday hailed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's support during the Covid-19 pandemic and said that the Centre stepped up when the previous government was "hiding".
Addressing a press conference along with Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, Gupta said the Centre also helped the earlier governments but now that help is being recognised.
"Remember the COVID-19 time. Had the Centre government not been there, what would have happened? I cited data that said that only 97 families were provided COVID-19 compensation after losing their loved ones in Delhi. According to the Delhi government, only 97 people died during that time. But crematoriums were full of bodies. The Centre supported the people of Delhi at that time," she said.
Gupta said that the Centre provided free ration to nearly 80 lakh people at that time when the then-Delhi government was "hidden" behind closed doors.
She alleged that the condition in which the people of Delhi spent their last 11 years was quite distressing in itself. The chief minister said that although the state government has health infrastructure in Delhi, the health infrastructure of the central government is much larger.
"Today, AIIMS alone conducts around five lakh outpatient department (OPD) visits annually linked to Delhi, which reduces the burden on hospitals here. Corruption in the health sector was rampant during the previous government, which has now been stopped, and 1,500 nurses have been permanently appointed to fill the infrastructural gaps caused by staff shortages," she added.
She announced that the work on building 1,100 new Arogya Kendras (Health Centres) has begun, of which 34 are nearly completed, and their inauguration is scheduled for June 14.
Gupta hailed the Centre for gifting Delhi residents road projects worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore.
Right from the metro, the contribution which comes from the Centre to the central government's colleges and schools in Delhi, she highlighted various aspects.
Gupta said that in Delhi, nearly three lakh pregnant women have been given Rs 5,000 per month under Prime Minister Matru Vandana Yojana, and under the Ujjwala Yojana, approximately 2.5 lakh women have been provided free gas cylinders.
Under the Dilli Gramoday Yojana, a plan worth Rs 960 crore has been allocated for the development of Delhi's rural areas.
As soon as the government was formed in Delhi, the first challenges we faced were cleaning the Yamuna River, reducing pollution and removing the garbage heaps, she said.
"The Kejriwal government kept making false promises about removing the garbage heaps. Today, the public has removed them from Delhi. The three garbage heaps, which were 60-65 meters high, have been reduced to 30-40 meters, and by March 2026, the Okhla garbage heap will be completely eliminated. The disposal of the others will also be completed on time," she added.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said the Modi government is the first government in the history of India that enjoys the trust of every citizen with the belief that 'Modi hai to mumkin hai' - meaning this government can make even the impossible, possible.
"Despite all of Kejriwal's negativity, it is a different matter that today the roads built by the Modi government or the famous electric buses are all lifelines for Delhi. During the COVID period, when Kejriwal left Delhi helpless, the Modi government took care of Delhi," he said.
Emphasising that while the Modi government pursued positive politics by launching hundreds of development schemes over the past 11 years, the AAP engaged in "negative politics" by blocking the implementation of central government schemes in Delhi.