Rekha Gupta govt launches Aadhaar centre in Azadpur, announces drainage plan for Kirari

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday, January 22, launched a fresh governance push by inaugurating an Aadhaar service centre in Azadpur, underlining her government’s focus on plugging leakages in welfare schemes while accelerating long-pending civic infrastructure projects across the Capital.

The Chief Minister said the new Aadhaar facility would bring essential digital services closer to people, ensuring faster access, reduced dependence on middlemen and more transparent delivery of benefits. The move comes amid a series of administrative decisions by the Rekha Gupta administration aimed at tightening service delivery and addressing chronic civic issues inherited from previous governments.

Aadhaar centre to strengthen direct benefit delivery

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Inaugurating the Aadhaar service centre, Gupta said Aadhaar had emerged as a critical tool for protecting the rights and dignity of the poor. She stressed that linking welfare schemes to Aadhaar ensured that benefits from both the Centre and the Delhi government reached genuine beneficiaries directly.

“Through Aadhaar, welfare benefits are transferred transparently, without any leakage,” the Chief Minister said, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for strengthening the digital backbone of public services. She added that residents of Azadpur and nearby areas would now be able to access Aadhaar-related services conveniently near their homes. MLA Ashok Goyal Dewaraha and several local representatives were present at the inauguration.

Kirari gets long-awaited comprehensive drainage plan

Alongside the Aadhaar rollout, the Delhi government announced a “Comprehensive Drainage Plan” for Kirari, an area that has struggled with severe waterlogging for years. The plan aims to resolve the problem permanently through upgraded sewerage and pumping infrastructure.

Delhi Water Minister Parvesh Verma said the Kirari Assembly constituency, home to nearly 10 lakh residents across 114 colonies, had been neglected for over a decade. He alleged that the previous Aam Aadmi Party government failed to upgrade drainage systems, forcing residents to endure flooding every monsoon.

According to Verma, the new government plans to build three sewage pumping stations at Baghya Vihar, Prem Nagar and Pratap Vihar. These stations will channel waste from Kirari colonies to the Rohini sewage treatment plant, easing pressure on local drains and preventing backflow.

The Minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party government had set itself a one-year deadline to substantially resolve Kirari’s waterlogging crisis. He dismissed social media videos blaming the new administration, saying the problem was the result of years of neglect.

“Attempts are being made to suggest that the issue surfaced after the new government took charge. That is misleading,” Verma said, adding that groundwork for drainage reform had already begun.

Chhath Ghat and Munak Canal rejuvenation projects

In a separate programme, Chief Minister Gupta laid the foundation stone for the construction of a Chhath Ghat on the Munak Canal in north Delhi. She also announced projects for the rejuvenation of the canal, development of a service road, and widening and beautification of the Singhalpur Bridge.

“These projects reflect our commitment to ‘development as well as heritage’,” Gupta said, noting that the initiatives would improve connectivity while preserving cultural traditions associated with Chhath Puja.