*CM Kejriwal meets team of Delhi laborers who made Uttarkashi Tunnel operation successful; CM says - matter of great pride for Delhiites
*15 laborers associated with DJB played instrumental roles in making rescue operation successful; CM Kejriwal felicitates the team
*Laborers overcame most difficult challenges to reach people trapped in tunnel, DJB team recounted about most daunting obstacles to CM
*In this selfish world, nobody thinks about anyone else, but these ‘Shramveers’ worked day and night without caring for their lives and saved 41 lives - CM Arvind Kejriwal
*It's matter of pride for us that all these people live in Delhi and have been working for DJB for years - CM Arvind Kejriwal
NEW DELHI: 2ND December 2023-Delhi CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal met with laborers associated with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) who played an instrumental role in making the Uttarkashi Tunnel operation successful at his residence. The Chief Minister welcomed and felicitated all these laborers during the meeting.
These laborers overcame the most challenging obstacle in reaching the people trapped in the tunnel. All of these individuals reside in different parts of Delhi and have been associated with the DJB for many years. When the American auger machine failed in the attempt to rescue the 41 people trapped in the tunnel, these laborers were airlifted to Uttarakhand from Delhi. Upon reaching there, they immediately got to work. During this difficult time, they worked tirelessly for nearly 36 hours without rest and saved the lives of those trapped in the tunnel. The team recounted to the CM the challenges of this rescue operation, and the CM congratulated and praised their bravery. The DJB Chairman and Water Minister, Ms. Atishi along with other cabinet colleagues were also present during this period.
On this occasion, CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal praised all the laborers. The Chief Minister stated, “You risked your lives, worked day and night restlessly, and saved the lives of 41 people trapped in the tunnel. Today, the world is very selfish. In such a selfish world, nobody thinks about anyone else. The first thing a person thinks about is, 'What will happen to me? What will happen to my children if something happens to me? What will happen to my family?' A person primarily thinks about themselves. In this kind of world, there are people like you. The brave work you have done is being talked about all over the country. Today, the entire nation is discussing how you continuously worked day and night to save the lives of 41 people."
The Chief Minister mentioned that it's a matter of great pride for Delhiites that all of you are from Delhi and have been working with us in the DJB for many years. As soon as the news of your arrival from Uttarkashi to Delhi was received, my wish was to sit and have tea with all of you. It's a great fortune for me to have the opportunity to sit and converse with all of you today.
During this DJB Chairperson and Water Minister Ms. Atishi shared, “CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal felicitated the 15 individuals associated with the DJB, who were involved in the excavation of the Uttarkashi’s Silkyara tunnel and successfully rescuing 41 people trapped inside. The Chief Minister said it's remarkable that at a difficult moment when even prominent individuals couldn't make the right decisions, ordinary people risked their lives and saved the lives of 41 people in their country. We also congratulated the company these heroes are associated with because they didn't charge the government a single rupee for the rescue operation. The company undertook this task understanding its responsibility and patriotism. I believe if such feelings arise in everyone in the country, our nation can progress significantly."
*The laborers recounted challenges to the CM during this time
During this time, the laborers provided detailed information to CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal about the challenges they faced before reaching the 41 people trapped in the tunnel. They explained that the American auger machine was extremely hot. Even the rod they had to cut was excessively heated. There was an inch-by-inch distance between them. Cutting it was highly challenging. While protecting themselves from the heat, we cut through all the auger rods. We worked continuously for 36 hours without sleep or rest and finally reached the 41 people trapped in the tunnel. Not once did we lose courage, working continuously day and night until we succeeded. We risked our lives to save others, putting our lives in jeopardy for Delhi and our country. We are proud of this.
*The company's expertise came to work in reaching the people trapped in the tunnel*
Workers explained that L.R. Sharma and his company have been associated with the DJB for nearly 40 years. L.R. Sharma's expertise proved very useful in extracting the 41 people trapped inside the tunnel in Uttarkashi. Along with L.R. Sharma, Vipin Gupta was involved in a joint venture, and the machine and workers were airlifted to Uttarkashi. All these individuals have been working with the DJB for decades. A collapsed part of the tunnel, about 48 meters, was very challenging. Many had failed in drilling through this section. But we managed to overcome that obstacle.
*Laborers became emotional after meeting the CM
Worker Nirmal Mishra says that today we met CM Shri Arvind Kejriwal, and the CM himself welcomed and greeted us. Meeting the CM made us very emotional because the CM embraced us, expressing his gratitude on behalf of Delhi. This is a matter of great pride and honor for us.
*These laborers worked as a team to save the lives of those trapped in the tunnel
15 individuals associated with the DJB were involved in the task of rescuing 41 people trapped in a tunnel in Uttarkashi. These people are connected with L.R. Sharma and the company are related to DJB and reside in different parts of Delhi. These 15 individuals formed three teams, each with expertise in different tasks. They collaborated and overcame the difficulties in reaching the people trapped in the tunnel. Among them are Jhadu Ram from Nangloi, Radhe Raman Dubey, Amit Kumar Rajak, and Tinku Dubey from Mahavir Vihar Colony, Shashikant Kumar from Jay Vihar Phase-III Baprola, along with Nirmal Mishra. They have considerable experience working inside the tunnel and are excellent welders. They performed cutting and welding inside the tunnel and pipes to rescue the trapped individuals.
In the second team Mohammad Ahmad from Delhi, Om Prakash from Nangloi, and Dhirendra Rai from Kanjhawala. They possess excellent experience in pipe fitting inside the tunnel. They worked on pipe fitting to give a push. The third team included Rakesh Rajput, Mahipal Lodhi, Surya Mohan Rai, Prasadi Lodhi, Bhupendra Lodhi, and Jatram Lodhi from Delhi. They have expertise in manually pushing the pipe inside the tunnel.
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*PWD Minister Atishi pulls up the PWD Principal Secretary over Mandawali's poor road conditions and orders swift action against the officer concerned
*PWD Minister Atishi directs the Principal Secretary to create a plan to fix roads and submit a timeline within 48 hours
*Take the strictest action possible against the officer responsible for the poor road condition in Mandawali so that no official repeats the same mistake in the future- PWD Minister Atishi
*Providing better quality roads to the people of Delhi is the responsibility of the PWD, and any shortcomings in this regard will not be tolerated- PWD Minister Atishi
NEW DELHI - 2ND DECEMBER, 2023-Taking immediate notice of the poor condition of roads in Mandawali, PWD Minister Atishi pulled up the Principal Secretary of the PWD and directed him to get the roads fixed promptly by making a timeline. She has also instructed swift and strict action against the responsible officers for the road's deplorable condition.
PWD Minister stated that the deplorable condition of roads in the Mandawali area is completely unacceptable. Providing better roads in the capital and maintaining them appropriately is the responsibility of the PWD. In this regard, any laxity in the upkeep of roads will not be tolerated.
While instructing the Principal Secretary of the PWD, she mentioned that an immediate plan with a timeline should be prepared to improve the condition of roads in the Mandawali area. Within 48 hours, the timeline should be submitted to him. Additionally, he directed that strict action be taken against the responsible officer for the poor road conditions in this area, ensuring it serves as an example for those who might be negligent in the future.
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*Higher Education Minister Atishi writes to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, highlights serious irregularities in the functioning of 12 Delhi-Govt funded colleges, affiliated to Delhi University
*Higher Education Minister’s demands to the Central Govt - Hand over complete control of 12 colleges to the Delhi government’s state universities, or provide full funding to take charge of colleges
*These serious lapses amounting to significant financial mismanagement running into hundreds of crores from the public exchequer- Higher Education Minister Atishi
*From unauthorized appointments to delayed payments, there is a long list of irregularities in these 12 colleges
*Colleges have created posts and engaged teaching and non-teaching staff without the requisite approvals- Higher Education Minister Atishi
*Salaries worth several crores are being paid to individuals who were never appointed through established procedures- Higher Education Minister Atishi
*Arbitrary and irregular payments towards sanitation & security services, allotment of canteen, and other contractual services- Higher Education Minister Atishi
*Despite having substantial funds, many of these 12 colleges have not prioritized timely salary and dues payments to staff- Higher Education Minister Atishi
*These issues might be symptomatic of larger malpractices within these 12 institutions funded by the Delhi Government and affiliated to Delhi University- Higher Education Minister Atishi
*Higher Education Minister gave two solutions for irregularities and procedural lapses in the working of these colleges
*Option 1- Union Ministry of Education should consider de-affiliating the 12 colleges from the University of Delhi and empower the Delhi Govt to designate them as a campus of either 'Ambedkar University' or 'DSEU’- Higher Education Minister Atishi
*Option 2- If the colleges remain affiliated with the University of Delhi, the Government of India should assume direct responsibility for full funding- Higher Education Minister Atishi
*Education of students studying in these colleges is the priority of the Delhi Govt right now and it would like to take full responsibility of the colleges- Higher Education Minister Atishi
*While affiliated to the University of Delhi and funded by the Delhi Govt, these colleges lack adequate oversight from both, leading to a governance vacuum- Higher Education Minister Atishi
*Issues with the mentioned 12 colleges require a timely solution, and action should be taken within the remaining months of the current financial year- Higher Education Minister Atishi
NEW DELHI -2ND-DECEMBER, 2023
In a letter addressed to Union Education Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Delhi Higher Education Minister Atishi has raised serious concerns about the functioning of 12 Delhi government-funded colleges affiliated with the University of Delhi. This letter by Minister Atishi outlines a range of irregularities and procedural lapses in the working of these colleges, amounting to significant financial mismanagement running into hundreds of crores from the public exchequer.
*From unauthorized appointments to delayed payments, there is a long list of irregularities in these 12 colleges
-> *Unauthorized Appointments:* Colleges have created posts and engaged teaching and non-teaching staff without the requisite approvals.
-> *Salary Discrepancies:* Salaries worth several crores are being paid to individuals who were never appointed through established procedures.
-> *Misappropriation of Funds:* Unauthorised appropriation of funds from GIA-Salary to GIA-General.
-> *Contractual Irregularities:* Arbitrary and irregular payments towards sanitation & security services, allotment of canteen, and other contractual services.
>*Delayed Payments:* Despite having substantial funds, many colleges have not prioritized timely salary and dues payments to staff.
Higher Education Minister Atishi expressed her concern and said, “These issues might be symptomatic of larger malpractices within these institutions.” She noted that, while affiliated with the University of Delhi, these colleges lack sufficient oversight from both the University and the Directorate of Higher Education of the Government of NCT Delhi, creating a governance vacuum.
*To address this situation, Minister Atishi proposed two options for consideration
Providing potential solutions to the existing problem, the Higher Education Minister suggested that the Union Ministry of Education should consider de-affiliating the 12 colleges from the University of Delhi and empower the Delhi Government to designate them as a campus of either 'Ambedkar University' or 'Delhi Skills and Entrepreneurship University.' Full funding for these colleges would be provided by the GNCTD. Additionally, these colleges may have the opportunity to evolve into autonomous degree-granting institutions following the National Education Policy 2020.
Alternatively, if the colleges were to remain affiliated with the University of Delhi, the Government of India should assume direct responsibility for full funding. This financial support could be provided through the University Grants Commission (UGC) or the proposed Higher Education Grants Council (HEGC).
Higher Education Minister further stated that the education of students studying in these colleges is the priority of the Delhi Govt right now and it would like to take full responsibility of the colleges.
Concluding her letter Higher Education Minister Atishi said, “The problems with the aforementioned 12 colleges need a time-bound solution and action must be taken regarding same within the remaining months of the current financial year itself. We intend to work closely with the Ministry of Education, Government of India to find a lasting solution for effective governance of these 12 colleges so that they meet the aspirations of its students.”