Atishi, Kejriwal address joint presser; promise to restart 'stalled' projects, expedite road repair

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Monday addressed a joint press conference with her predecessor Arvind Kejriwal, promising to complete road repair works before assembly elections and restart projects "stalled" by the BJP while the AAP supremo was in jail.

It was their first joint media interaction after Kejriwal resigned and Atishi took over as the chief minister.

Atishi told a press conference here that to begin with, her government will repair damaged roads before the assembly elections due early next year. She said the party has identified 89 damaged PWD (Public Works Department) roads for strengthening.

She said 74 tenders have already been floated for this.

The chief minister said AAP leaders have identified a total of 6,671 potholes during a series of inspections they conducted over the past few weeks, and 3,454 of the patches have already been filled.

The press conference was also addressed by Kejriwal.

"When I was in jail, these people (BJP) stalled various works of the Delhi government. After I returned, I and Atishi inspected the roads and saw they were not in good conditions. I wrote to her and requested that Atishi ji get these roads maintained with immediate effect," he said.

He said all the "stalled" projects would be resumed. "Once re-elected, our government will also launch new initiatives. In the past year, our ministers were systematically imprisoned, halting important public welfare projects. But now, we are getting everything back on track." In addition to road repairs, the Delhi government will also address several other concerns, including a shortage of medicines in hospitals and Mohalla Clinics, the cessation of free medical tests, and the suspension of the 'Farishtey Dilli Ke' scheme to provide free treatment to road accident victims, Kejriwal said.

"I have been informed about the significant shortage of medicines in hospitals and Mohalla Clinics, as well as the cessation of free tests. The 'Farishtey' scheme, which provided free treatment to road accident victims in Delhi, has also been discontinued. I want to reassure everyone that we are addressing all the stalled projects and the issues faced by the public," Kejriwal said.

He alleged that road repairs have been stopped and old age pensions have been halted. Many other projects have also been paused, and several home guard personnel and others have had their salaries cut, he claimed.

"We are now focusing on all these areas. I have instructed CM Atishi to restart the projects that were halted, and resume all these initiatives. We will work to address the issues that have arisen," he said.

Giving details of the repair works, Atishi said, "We have identified 89 damaged PWD roads for strengthening. Tenders for 74 have already been floated. Further, a total of 6,671 potholes were identified during road inspections. Out of these, 3,454 have already been filled." Atishi took charge as the chief minister of Delhi on September 21, after Kejriwal resigned, announcing he won't return until people give him a certificate of honesty.