New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) Delhi Ministers Parvesh Verma and Ravinder Indraj Singh, on Wednesday, travelled in an electric bus to reach the venue for the inauguration of a Public Works Department (PWD) drainage project.

Speaking to IANS, Delhi’s PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said: “Today, a new drain construction work was starting at Begumpur-Kanjhawala Chowk. At around 8:30 in the morning, officials came to my house. We thought that instead of travelling in 20–25 vehicles, if we all went together in a single electric bus, it would save fuel and, as far as possible from our side, help reduce air pollution.”

He added that the decision to travel by bus was taken keeping in mind an earlier appeal made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to save fuel, in view of a surge in global crude oil prices amid the West Asia conflict.

“Another benefit was that since the government officials were also travelling with us, we got down and inspected about 20 locations on the way,” he said.

Minister Verma said: “We identified what shortcomings existed there and discussed the same with the officers throughout the journey, and also told them what actions need to be taken.”

He also mentioned that the Delhi government had started the initiative called ‘Government on wheels’ around a year ago.

Regarding waterlogging issues across the national capital, Minister Verma said: “When we came into office, we saw that many major roads in the city do not have drains. The previous (AAP) government could not even build drains.”

“Now, after coming to power, first of all we prepared a Drainage Master Plan with a vision of 50 years and have started working on its execution. In our master plan, everything is mapped out for the whole of Delhi — where drains are needed, what size they should be, and what their level should be,” he added.

Regarding the new PWD drainage project, Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh said: “This project is worth around Rs. 43 crore. All of our unauthorised colonies, which were regularised by the country’s Prime Minister, never had a proper drainage system.”

Targeting the previous AAP government, led by former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Minister Singh added: “The previous governments, including the Kejriwal government, never paid attention to this issue.”

He, too, mentioned that ever since the BJP government was formed in Delhi, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and PWD Minister Parvesh Verma have brought forward a comprehensive drainage plan for the entire city “worth Rs. 56,000 crore”.

–IANS

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