NEW DELHI:
In a dramatic role reversal of his earlier confrontationist attitude, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said both the city and central governments must work together.
“Assured full cooperation of Delhi government to develop Delhi, (the) capital city of India. It is important that Delhi government and Centre work together,” Kejriwal tweeted after the meeting. “Met Modi and congratulated him for LS (Lok Sabha election) victory,” he said.
Kejriwal also assured “full cooperation” of the Delhi government for the city’s development and sought Modi’s support in the storage of rainwater in Delhi. He said the Delhi government planned to store the Yamuna water during rainy season.
“One season’s water (is) sufficient to meet one year’s Delhi’s water needs. Requested Centre’s support.” The Chief Minister invited the Prime Minister to visit a Mohalla Clinic and a Delhi government school.
The city’s Mohalla Clinics and Delhi’s transformed government schools are the Kejriwal government’s pet schemes that have won wide acclaim. Kejriwal said the Ayushman Bharat, the Modi government’s health scheme, was briefly discussed.
He said he told Modi that Delhi’s health scheme “is much bigger and wider in scope. However, assured him to examine if Ayushman Bharat scheme could also be integrated into our scheme”. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the Modi government have been at loggerheads over a string of issues since Kejriwal became the Chief Minister in February 2015.
