Govt plans ₹13,000-cr infra rollout, welfare drive from Sept 17: Rekha Gupta

The Delhi government will launch a month-long welfare and infrastructure campaign, the “Sewa Sankalp Abhiyan”, beginning September 17 to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 25 years in public service, chief minister Rekha Gupta announced on Monday.

As part of the drive, the administration will also launch or lay foundation stones of projects worth over ₹13,000 crore across the national capital. The campaign will feature blood donation camps, health check-ups for senior citizens, sanitation and Yamuna-cleaning drives, and dedicated welfare scheme registration camps spanning all 70 assembly constituencies.

Gupta said PM Modi’s “25 years of uninterrupted public service” were an inspiration and a matter of pride, and the campaign would focus on service-oriented activities across Delhi.

Under the campaign, camps will be held for three days in each of the 70 constituencies to help residents register for various Delhi and central government schemes. On September 17, beneficiaries of government schemes will be asked to light lamps at their homes.

“The health department will organise a mega blood donation camp on September 17 with an aim to collect 2,500 units. The social welfare department will organise health check-ups for senior citizens,” she said.

The State Organ and Tissue Transplantation Organisation (SOTTO) will also promote organ donation, she added.

The chief minister said the government will run sanitation drives and intensify efforts to clean the Yamuna. The campaign is expected to launch projects worth ₹8,000 crore related to the Yamuna.

More than 4,000 Anganwadi and ASHA workers will be felicitated, while a “Sewa Jyoti Kalash Yatra” will be taken out across Delhi’s 14 districts and 70 constituencies with the participation of public representatives.

The campaign will also have a youth and education component. This will involve around 5,000 government and private schools through painting, speech, and other competitions showcasing students’ vision of a developed India. The government will also organise an innovation challenge to encourage youth to develop solutions and ideas.

The government has lined up projects worth approximately ₹13,800 crore for inauguration and foundation-laying during the drive. These include Delhi Jal Board projects valued at ₹8,000 crore, Public Works Department (PWD) works worth ₹2,800 crore, power sector initiatives totalling ₹1,500 crore, Irrigation and Flood Control department projects worth ₹365 crore, and tourism projects to the tune of ₹77 crore, Gupta said.

Delhi BJP president Harsh Malhotra said the campaign would highlight the impact of Modi government schemes and his 25 years of public service.