She may have ruled Delhi for over 11 years on the trot but chief minister Sheila Dikshit is not satisfied with the quality of life led by the majority of people in the city as she said it was a matter of "shame" to have lakhs of shanties in the national capital.
Speaking at a seminar here today, Dikshit expressed her strong disappointment over tardy decision making process, lack of responsiveness on the part of administration and the archaic rules and legislations affecting governance.
"It is a matter of shame that in the capital city of India we do have people who live in shanties. Over four hundred thousand people live in shanties. We do have people who sleep on pavements," the Chief Minister said.
Noting that five lakh people come to the city every year from other states, she said providing basic amenities to these people have become a huge challenge for her government.
"It is a huge contrast when you see shanties next to a huge building..when you see shanties in Luyten's zone... I have a sprawling house built in a two-acre land. It has beautiful gardens. I use just one bed room and use two rooms to see my visitors. Rest is just unutilised. Is that fair, is it equitable," she wondered at the conference organised by London Business School.
To explain archaic rules, she gave the example of the regulation under which one has to plant 10 saplings for cutting a single tree and said often citizens are made to suffer because of impractical rules.
"Our law says, when you cut a tree you will have to plant 10 more. But where is the space. Here is a point. Many of our rules, regulations, legislations, laws, decision making procedures have become so archaic....we have become so archaic.
Attributing the inconveniences faced by most of the common people to inefficiencies in governance, she said, "We set up all kinds of commissions which will go on changing rules and procedures and I have no hesitation in admitting that even after 65 years of independence we rule like the British," she added.
Suggesting that all the cities across the country -- mainly 60 prominent cities -- should be developed properly, she said unless that happens influx to the mega cities will continue unabated.
"The challenges in front of us are enoromous. You are seeing changing face of Delhi. But the kind of efforts it takes reminds me of Alice in Wonderland.. who said she had to treat one just to stay put in one place. That's exactly the case with Delhi," she said.
