Just Ahead of Delhi Assembly Elections, ASSOCHAM Has Recommendations For Political Parties

As Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress get ready to slug it out in Delhi Elections, industry body ASSOCHAM has a piece of advice for them. The body has come up with a list of suggestions, which it believes should be the key focus areas for these parties. This includes: women safety, healthcare, education, infrastructure, housing among others.

ASSOCHAM’s General secretary, DS Rawat says, “Setting up more number of working women hostels, old age homes for senior citizens and rehabilitation centres for drug addicts most of whom are rag pickers and beggars thus there is a need to provide them proper counseling and support services.”

The chamber has also listed other issues that require political parties’ immediate attention. The chamber noted that healthcare system in Delhi is a major issue and requires improvement. It has urged the parties to focus on improving the conditions of government hospitals as well as setting up hospitals under public-private partnership (PPP) model to meet the growing healthcare demand. Also, in order to make healthcare affordable, the industry association emphasized on providing medical insurance facilities to the lower income group while making important drugs available at affordable rates.

“Apart from healthcare, the education should be another key focus area for the parties. There needs to be strict supervision vis-à-vis private schools providing admission to kids from economically weaker section, a monthly amount of Rs 1,000 be given for educational uplift of students from the reserved classes,” suggested Rawat.

He averred that investments in the education sector in the city is required in order to build more schools, colleges, polytechnic institutes throughout Delhi. “Urgent steps must be taken to ensure teachers’ availability, promote vocational education for imparting job-oriented and skill-based knowledge for providing industry ready workforce and all this requires increased private sector participation which can be further enhanced by luring them through incentives and tax rebates”, he points out.

Addressing the lack of industrial infrastructure in the city, the chamber suggested that the government must issue licenses to only non-polluting industries and manufacturing units while financial support should be extended to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

“Industries operating in residential areas should be relocated, and the administration should facilitate logistical support for speedy implementation of Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and periodic review of state’s industrial policy should be carried out to include missing representations and addressing pending issues,” he said.

In terms of the public transport and housing facilities, the chamber has recommended the parties to suggest ways to integrate public transportation system while focusing on constructing new roads and highways to boost better connectivity within and outside the city. “The parties must also pay attention to the housing facilities and promoting modern techniques of buildings such as earthquake resistant houses by Delhi Development Authority (DDA), providing thrust to affordable housing on city’s outskirts to reduce population density within Delhi,” asserted Rawat.

Commenting on the problem of water scarcity in several areas of North, South and East Delhi, the association has said the parties should devise ways of curbing activities that have resulted in rapid depletion of ground water level. On the safety and security issue, the chamber has suggested that the Delhi Police, which is currently under the Central government, should be brought under the purview of the state government.

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