Health, edu spending sets AAP apart: The Delhi Model author

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Aam Aadmi Party leader Jasmine Shah said that what set apart the 10-year-long rule of his outfit in Delhi is the robust Budget allocations to health and education and the work done in said sectors. Shah, who is the former Vice Chairperson of the Delhi Dialogue and Development Commission, made the remarks during the launch of his book “The Delhi Model” at the Bangalore International Centre in the city on Sunday. The launch was followed by a discussion moderated by The News Minute editor Dhanya Rajendran. AAP state president Mukhyamantri Chandru and National Joint Secretary Prithvi Reddy were also in attendance.

“If the government does not prioritize the health and education sectors, a Vikasith bharath will remain a distant dream, be it in 2047 or even 2147,” Shah said, adding that the ruling AAP had consistently allocated 40 per cent of their Budget to health and education. “Having been directly involved in the transformative changes brought about by the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi across 60 sectors, including education, healthcare, electricity, water, transportation, and the environment, from 2015 to 2023, I was inspired to write The Delhi Model. It is disheartening to see Opposition parties label these impactful reforms as a freebie culture,” he said.

Shah claimed that more than 2.5 lakh students in Delhi were transferring from private to government schools every year, adding that 97% of students of said government schools had passed their board exams. He said that electricity prices in Delhi had remained the lowest in Delhi with no hikes being imposed. He added that he had worked as a techie in Bengaluru for a few years. 'Targeted by Centre' Shah alleged that the BJP-led Union government had relentlessly targeted AAP top leadership such as former CM Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and others like Satyendra Jain.

“You win 67 of 70 seats (in Delhi Assembly polls of 2020) and think I can do whatever I had planned but you find that the whole establishment fights back. There have been cases against our leaders,” Shah said, adding that there were vigilance cases against him as well. “Year after year, powers have been taken away from the Delhi government. In fact, Sheila Dikshit was five times more powerful than our CM today (Atishi Singh),” he added.