NEW DELHI : A responsive government, Mrs Sheila Dikshit, Delhi Chief Minister, promptly replies when asked about her major achievement in the past one year. Theis, despite the fact, as she puts it, that she got only eight months to function as the rest of the four month saw enforcement of the code of conduct due to announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. This restrained her from announcing any policy.

In a free-wheeling conversion with the Congress Sandesh on the completion one year in office, she enlists her acievements and plans for the next four year. One of the major decision was to reform the power sector in a big way. She is the first Chief Minister to bring out a white parer on power and set up a Delhi electricity Regulatory Commission to improve the perennial power problem in the city. This marked the first step in the reform process. Besides, she says, "Our billing system has greatelyimproved. The massive anti-theft campaigns undertaken frequently has helped reduce transmission and distribution losses from 58 per cent to 50 per cent, improving revenues by 31 per cent."

While the announcement of the policy on single-point power supply to industrial areas, JJ and unauthorised colonies has already been made, to corporatise the DVB, which is the part of her long-term reform plan, the Delhi Government has asked the SBI Caps to recommend the modalities for it. The government has written to the Centre seeking 200 MW of power from the Eastren Grid. Another 200 MW will be brought from Himachal Pradesh to meet the expected shortfall in the city during the summer of 2000. However, aware of the grave power situation the city faces, she is honest to admit, "I would not pretend that we are close to solving power problems, but I believe we are on the way to it."

For inproving civic amenities, she has directed the NDMC and MCD to take up their job seriously or else face action also new sewer management plant has started operating at Jahangir and another is coming up at Bhalsawa to turn waste into manure. Once the project takes off, she says, the government will opt for more such plants. She has also acorded high priority to controlling prices which had gone up steeply last year.

To check growing pollution, the government has launched various eco-protection schemes. Children have been actively involved in them "for they play an important role in the success of such schemes," bshe asserts with an obvious references to the success of the anti-crackers campaign she had launched before Delhi.CNG buses and taxis have also been given green signal, though due to shortage of CNG refilling centres in the city the government is finds it hard to meet the March 31 centres in the city the government is finds it hard to meet the March 31 deadline for converting its Delhi Transportation fleet into CNG operated.

Unable to relocate around 1.30 lakh polluting industries in alternate areas by December 31 as per the Supreme Court guidelines, her government has filed a petition seeking extension of the deadline to prevent closure of these units. "We have to implement the court orders. But since we will not be able to provide land within the period set by the Supreme Courtr we have filed a petition seeking extension."

On the traffic front several measures have been undertaken. The Delhi police has been askedc to train its personnel to handle movement of vehicles efficiently and smoothly. Construction of more flyovers is also on her agenda. The Chief Minister reveals as part of her various efforts made for welfare of women that the Government has set up a finance corporation to meet their needs. A scholarship scheme has been intro duced to encourage parents to send their girl child to school. About the delay in the appointment of a Chairperson for the Delhi Commission for Women, she explains: " the Government could not do so because of the enforcement of the code of conduct. However, th efile has been sent to the lieutenant Governer."

On the deteriorating law and order situation she is conscious of her limitations. "Law and order in the city is not under us. Also there is such a multiplicity of of authorities that we do not have full powers like other states."

Mrs Dikshit is clear on the vexed issue of statehood, she says: "will react to the issue only after analysing the Bill. In this context the complexity caused by the presence of numerous authorities in Delhi must be kept in mind." Just dividing Delhi into statshood areas will not be a viable solution, because services are interlinked. What is more important for her, she stresses, better goverance which leads to better quality of life.

For better medical facilities 63 dispensaries has been st up which would be functional for 12 hours while there would be 10 health centers, operating round the clock. Apart from this, eight dispensaries and two new hospitals at Vasant Kunj and Pitampura are coming up. The Delhi Government has also launched the national programme on TB, AIDS control, besides providing free MMR vaccine to protect children against dreaded diseases like measles, mumps and rubella. "Our pulse programme has met with a fair amount of success."

Reiterating her commitment to the welfare and security of Dalits, Scheduled castes and Scheduled Tribes, Mrs Dikshit promisesto set up a high powered commission on the lines of NationalCommission for Minorities. The State Government has also made efforts for the development of Urdu and Punjabi languages, including their elevation as official languages.

The Bill has been sent to the centre for approval. Welfare of disadvantaged, downtrodden and handicapped holds a very important place in the government plan and for the first time a special employment exchange has been set up, besides relaxing the finance schemes for them. On the criticism from the opposition that the Congress could not win any seat in the just held Lok Sabha elections, she contends that "the local government can’t be held responsible for the result of the election which was fought on national issues."

She also dismisses the Opposition argument that her government has not launched a single scheme in the past one year. Criticisingthe previous BJP government for bankruptcy, she claimed that her government had "stopped the rot which had been underminingthe system." "Our stress has been on transparent nad efficient government and it would be attained through citizens’ partnership and providing them one-stop service through e-governance." She envisions the idea of a cyber city and feels that information technology will transform the entire city. To decentralise power the government has constituted nine district coordination committees to oversee the functioning of local civic agencies. Each district committee is headed by an MLA on rotational basis. This is to ensure fair and effective involvement of people in governance, she emphasises, sending a singnal to bureaucrats that corruption and nepotism will not be tolerated.

How will Delhi look four year from now? It will be the dream city of everybody, she concludes, adding that the work in this direction has already begun.