CM’s arrest will not affect subsidies in Delhi, says LG

Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena said that subsidies and schemes for free power, water and bus rides for women will not be stopped because of the chief minister’s arrest, according to a statement released by the LG’s office on Saturday.
Officials said the LG took serious note of “patently false and deliberately misleading statements issued by not only members of a particular political party, but also ministers sworn to the constitutional oath of office” about likely discontinuation of government schemes.
“The purported imaginary stoppage of these schemes in future is being attributed to the central government and the LG. Saxena has assured the people of Delhi that none of the subsidy schemes benefitting the poor will be discontinued and appealed to them to not pay heed to the statements and rumours being spread by political vested interests. The people should reject any attempts at misleading them,” the statement read.
Saxena said that these schemes are paid for from the consolidated fund of NCT of Delhi, collected through taxes, and not from the account of an individual or political party.
The LG further said that the subsidy schemes are those of the government and not driven by or dependent on any individual holding any position and therefore, because of any individual being in jail, the question of a scheme getting affected does not arise.
“An individual being in jail under judicial custody, as per due process of law, does not affect any scheme, especially those that have been duly approved by the Gov of India and the Lt. Governor himself, before being introduced in, and subsequently passed by the Delhi Legislative Assembly,” the statement read.
These schemes have budgetary allocation in the budget document, which is approved by the Government of India, as per constitutional and statutory provisions, officials from the LG’s office said.
The Delhi government, meanwhile, termed the statement a significant triumph for both the dedicated leader, Arvind Kejriwal, and the resilient populace of Delhi.
Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said: ”It is a significant victory for CM Arvind Kejriwal that even while in jail, he has compelled the LG to say that work and free schemes will continue. Whereas the LG has always tried to obstruct the work of the people of Delhi through his favourite officers. Today, the LG is also saying that the work and schemes of the people will continue in Delhi, instead of stopping the work.”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bharadwaj wrote that Arvind Kejriwal had promised the people of Delhi that whether he is outside the jail or inside, he will not let the work of the people of Delhi stop. “Today, Delhi’s son and brother Arvind Kejriwal has had a big victory,” he said.