Pioneer-dilli-billi-17th october.10

“She Delivered Well”
As I was driving on one of the streets in Delhi my driver commented on how clean the city was looking. This is an uneducated but responsible citizen of the capital. Delhi seems to have become a new city in the last one year there are no argument to the fact that “Sheila Dixit” has delivered. This grandmotherly lady has faced one hurdle after the other but has come out clean. She took criticism in her stride. She was positive even as the media lambasted her time and again. This is only because she was confident that the end result of the inconvenience to the public would only be temporary. This is a lady who knew her goal. This is not my observation but the observation of my driver. This is the major population of the city. The poor as the call them.

For the common man who is, the real voter has been provided all facilities possible. To a tourist Delhi now looks like the capital of the largest Democracy in the world. The metro has connected commuters from New Delhi to gurgoan with in half an hour. The new buses are air conditioned, swanky and on time. The BRT lanes which got Sheila a lot of flak from the middle class and the elite today are so happy because it is commuting without any hitches. It is Sheila Dixit who has worked with the plan and that plan worked. She has moved the Basti’s by giving them stable houses and school for their children to study. The Bhagidari programme got her lots of votes in the last elections. The ‘Ladli’ scheme also did wonders and so their is no opposition to her. She is respected with out any doubt across party lines. Taking criticism in her stride. She never let it take her away from her focused goal. There are no false promises here.


The image of Delhi has undoubtly improved thanks to CWG. I just hope that this ‘Jugaad’ work lasts. As we are all aware the work was left for the last moment. So, whether the cement was set or not top coating were plastered. Flower pots were put in the dug up pavements. Dirt and filth was hidden behind huge hoardings. Well, can this be permanent some will argue. But what we do need to see is that Delhi is new now. ‘Kacha’ or ‘Pakka’ is besides the urgency way have been three times the budget that would actually been spent in other circumstances.


Now, even as the CWG games got the flak world over Sheila had to step in last minute to take the charge. She took the challenge, got all her resources and her good will to act and delivered with in days. The saving grace has been Sheila in the end.