49 days of 2nd Kejriwal innings: Cautious AAP in no rush for quick fixes

NEW DELHI: The first 49 days of the 'Paanch Saal Kejriwal' government in office have been starkly different from the stint of the previous minority government in Delhi led by Aam Aadmi Party.
While the 49-day AAP government of 2014—which knew that its days in power were numbered—was one on a roll, making announcements and setting stringent deadlines to deliver on a range of promises from Jan Lokpal and Swaraj to cheaper power and water and an end to contractual employment, the new government's commitment to its 70-point agenda is accompanied by a sense of caution.

The quick fix solutions are no longer on offer. The government has also steered clear of setting timelines for delivering on promises. Instead, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's focus in the first month has been largely on short-term relief measures and steps seen as reiteration of commitments made in AAP's 70-point election manifesto. For long-term solutions, a roadmap is being prepared. As government functionaries say, "we are in no hurry and will plan in detail before we implement".

One of the first promises fulfilled by this government, done also the last time, was to provide relief from high water and power bills. The government has wasted no time in implementing these populist measures. However, the issues on which AAP resigned from government last year, the Jan Lokpal and Swaraj Bills, seem to be getting less active attention. Sources say they may be tabled in the next Cabinet meeting, while the government says it would like to ensure that both laws are strong enough to be effective, hence the delay.

The first signs of real-time systemic changes to fight corruption are expected in the form of a proactive helpline mechanism and a strong anti-corruption branch. CM Arvind Kejriwal will be launching the anti-corruption system at a public function at Talkatora Stadium on Sunday. Last year, though, the helpline was up and running before the second week of the new government's tenure was over.



The new government also has the difficult job of making regularization of contract labour a reality. The matter is under review and labour minister Gopal Rai faces this challenge. Even the much-hyped promise of a Wi-Fi-enabled Delhi is something that is under study and the new government has conceded that it will take at least one year for that project to see the light of day.

Crowd-sourcing of policy planning has been gaining space by way of "experiments" in the government's new discourse. However, the roadmap for its execution is yet to be laid out. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia justifies the caution as necessary for delivering solutions that are real and that help build public confidence in both government and governance.

A chief minister's Office focused on "systemic change", a "think tank" of experts in the form of Delhi Dialogue Commission to bridge the gap between the people and the executive and legislature and a set-up where crowd-sourcing of planning is fast gaining credence—that's the emerging picture of AAP ki sarkar this time around.