The Delhi Congress has accused both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of claiming credit for development projects initiated and executed by the Congress government during its 15-year tenure in the capital.
Delhi Congress President Devender Yadav stated that PM Modi was trying to influence voters ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections by taking credit for the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) flats constructed at Ashok Vihar Jailorwala Bagh. Yadav clarified that the project was conceived and executed by the Congress government in 2008 to resettle slum dwellers. He added that both the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have been attributing Congress-initiated works, including the construction of EWS flats and flyovers, to themselves.
Yadav cited a similar instance during the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections in 2022 when PM Modi handed over keys for EWS flats in Kalkaji to 10 slum dwellers. Despite the gesture, over 3,000 flats constructed for slum dwellers in Kalkaji remain unallotted. Yadav explained that under Congress, 229 JJ clusters were identified for development as part of schemes like the Rajiv Rattan Awas Yojana, Basic Services for Urban Poor (BSUP), and DSIDC.
Construction began on 1,675 flats in Ashok Vihar, 3,024 flats in Kalkaji, and plans were finalized for 2,800 flats in Katputhli Colony. While construction of the Katputhli Colony flats began in 2014, Yadav alleged that delays under the Delhi government and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) have stalled the project, highlighting what he described as CM Kejriwal’s corruption and inefficiency.
He further criticized the allotment delays in Kalkaji, noting that out of the 3,000 flats completed, only 1,862 have been distributed.
Yadav said Congress had completed all formalities for eight projects under the Rajiv Rattan Awas Yojana, BSUP, and DSIDC, along with six projects under DUSIB (Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board), one under DDA, and one under NDMC. These projects, estimated to cost Rs 3,083.87 crore, aimed to construct 67,800 flats. By March 2012, 13,820 flats were completed, 15,288 were under construction, and tenders for 38,696 flats were floated. However, after Kejriwal assumed power, construction halted, and even the allotment of completed flats was delayed due to ongoing disputes between the BJP and AAP. Yadav alleged that these parties are now seeking to rent the flats or charge high premiums, exploiting the poor. He emphasized that, under Congress, these flats would have been allotted free of cost to EWS residents.
Yadav also accused both Modi and Kejriwal of neglecting the needs of the poor and common citizens. He criticized Kejriwal for focusing on constructing the “Sheesh Mahal” during the COVID-19 pandemic, while Modi spent thousands of crores on the Central Vista project, which, Yadav claimed, had no benefit for those struggling with existential crises.
