In a major push towards development, the Delhi government on Monday announced several significant decisions aimed at benefiting youth, athletes, and students during its Cabinet meeting.
Cabinet Minister Ashish Sood stated that these decisions, under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, are aimed at steering Delhi towards development and inclusive progress.
Laptops for meritorious students
To strengthen technology-based education in government schools, Delhi has launched new initiatives. Around 1,200 students in Class 10 with high academic merit will receive i7 laptops, with a total budget of Rs 8 crore allocated for this.
An orientation programme will be held on Wednesday in all Sarvodaya schools across Delhi, where parents will be informed about the school system, newly introduced schemes, and the facilities available for students. As part of the programme, all MLAs will visit schools in their respective constituencies.
Setting up of ICT Labs
100 ICT labs have been developed under CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility). An additional 175 ICT labs will be created, each equipped with 40 computers. In the past, 907 labs were built under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, but all are currently non-functional.
Increased rewards for athletes
Under the Chief Minister’s Sports Promotion Scheme, athletes will now receive significantly higher cash rewards along with opportunities for government jobs. The cash awards for Olympic medalists include Rs 7 crore for a gold medal, Rs 5 crore for a silver medal, and Rs 3 crore for a bronze medal.
Gold and silver medalists will be eligible for Group A government jobs, while bronze medalists will be eligible for Group B jobs. This provision will now also apply to winners of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
Students participating at the state and national levels will receive up to Rs 5 lakh in assistance. This aid will be available to students from Class 6 to Class 12 for training purposes. National-level medal-winning students will be awarded up to Rs 11 lakh.
On waterlogging and opposition’s criticism
Delhi Minister Ashish Sood addressed the opposition's concerns over waterlogging, stating that the Chief Minister herself is out on the streets to assess the situation. He remarked that the opposition fails to acknowledge that their own PWD and Education Ministers were jailed for corruption, while the current government is actively working to resolve the issue.
Questioning the criticism, he asked whether waterlogging can be attributed solely to a four-month-old government. He added that the current administration will demonstrate how the problem can be effectively addressed, reminding critics that during their own tenure, Ram Gopal Yadav had to be carried out of waterlogged areas.
Sood also highlighted the work undertaken at Minto Bridge, West Delhi, and Dhaula Kuan as evidence of the government's progress.
