Once Kejriwal has promised, women will get Rs 2,100 every month: CM Atishi (IANS Interview)

New Delhi, Dec 12 Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Thursday exuded confidence in the ruling Aam Aadmi Party returning to power in the upcoming Assembly elections and claimed Thursday’s announcement on ‘Mahila Samman Yojana’ of Rs 2,100 every month was testimony to party convenor Arvind Kejriwal’s commitment to fulfilling all his promise.

Just a few months before the Assembly elections to pick a new 70-member Assembly, Atishi slammed rival parties for doubting the AAP promises and spreading falsehoods.

Here is the full interview:

IANS: The Delhi Cabinet approved the financial assistance scheme for women today. When is the money likely to start reaching their bank accounts?

Atishi: In March, Arvind Kejriwal announced a monthly financial assistance of Rs 1,000 for every woman. But had he not been jailed as part of a conspiracy by our rival parties, women in Delhi would have got several instalments of the promised monthly assistance by now. Ever since Kejriwal came out of jail he has been striving to fulfil the promise made to women and today he managed to deliver on that front by making the big announcement.

IANS: Will the delay in implementing the Mahila Samman Yojana have a bearing on the electoral gains from it?

Atishi: The delay in implementing the scheme has come with an unexpected benefit. During the time the scheme was being planned, women managed to convince Kejriwal that an amount of Rs 1,000 promised by him may prove inadequate. Today, Kejriwal has promised that after winning the Assembly elections the financial assistance for each woman will be raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,100.

IANS: Some people are claiming that the financial assistance scheme for women would add to the financial burden of the Delhi government.

Atishi: The Delhi government is the only government that is operating with a profit. I am amazed that the BJP is questioning our budget deficit when their party’s governments in 22 states are running in losses. The Delhi government is the only government in the country which has increased its budget by two-and-a-half times in the past 10 years.

In 2015, when our government was formed, the city’s budget outlay was just Rs 30,000 crore. Now the outlay is Rs 77,000 crore. We are running the Delhi government honestly and even without the Central government giving any funds to us. It is due to our honesty that the revenue of the Delhi government has been rising steadily and every penny generated by the government is being put to the best use for public welfare.

IANS: Rival parties are claiming that the AAP is making false promises. What do you have to say about it?

Atishi: If you remember, in 2013, they had scoffed at our slogan, ‘Bijli half, pani maaf’ (power bills will be halved and water bills will be waived off). Even then they had tried to spread rumours that Kejriwal is making hollow promises. But today, 38 lakh families in Delhi are getting a zero power bills for the past five years. So, the message from this is that Kejriwal keeps his promise. Today, he has promised that each woman’s account will be credited with Rs 2,100 every month and he means it. What he promises, he delivers.