Guwahati: Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has rejected the proposal regarding Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s trip to Singapore to attend the “Eighth World Cities Summit and WCS Mayors Forum” and has advised him not to go to a conference that is ostensibly a gathering of mayors and not appropriate for a Chief Minister to attend, said sources.
The LG has noted that the conference will cover various aspects of urban governance, which in the case of Delhi are addressed by various civic bodies including the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in addition to the Delhi government. The LG has carefully examined the nature of the forum, the profile of other attendees, as well as the topics being discussed at the Conference.
According to reports, the LG has emphasised that the GNCTD does not have sole authority over the problems related to the conference’s theme, making a Chief Minister’s attendance unsuitable.
The LG’s office asserts that the NDMC is serving as the project’s guiding force in the context of the WCS Smart City Workshop, which is being held in conjunction with the conference. A Chief Minister attending such a conference would be unwise in addition to the aforementioned facts, according to insiders.
In a letter sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier on Sunday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal requested permission to travel to Singapore for the World Cities Summit.
An argument broke out between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-run Delhi government and the Center over Kejriwal’s planned trip to Singapore to attend the international conference there.
In his letter to Modi, Kejriwal said, “The Government of Singapore has invited us to present the Delhi model at the global summit. During the summit, the Delhi model has to be presented in front of many big leaders of the world. Today the whole world wants to know about the Delhi model. This invitation is a matter of pride and honour for the country.”
He claimed that despite writing the Centre on June 7 to request permission to attend the conference, he hadn’t heard back from them until today.
He said, “It is a matter of pride for India as the world is inspired by the health and education model of Delhi. The country will feel proud when I will present the model of Delhi’s schools, hospitals, mohalla clinics, free electricity and others. My Singapore visit will elevate the country’s pride and stature.”
The AAP convenor argued that the nation’s internal divisions should not be visible on a global scale.
“In such a situation, it is against the interest of the country to stop a Chief Minister from visiting such an important platform. I request you to give permission as soon as possible so that I can elevate the name of the country in this summit,” urged Kejriwal.
The World Cities Summit provides leaders and business professionals with a forum to discuss the difficulties in creating livable, sustainable cities and to consider integrated urban solutions.
This year’s summit will take place from July 31 to August 3.