A day after former Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal and four members of his family were issued notices after their names were flagged under the ‘no mapping’ category, the party’s Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday questioned the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) drive, asking what would happen to an ordinary citizen if the voter details of a three-time Chief Minister were not mapped in the previous exercise.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Mr. Kejriwal were among the 33.1 lakh electors to whom notices were issued, according to the list published by the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi on September 18. These 33.1 lakh electors constitute roughly one-third of the 97.5 lakh included in the draft roll. The total Delhi electorate is 1.45 crore. The verification and disposal of these cases are to be completed by October 29, while the final electoral roll is to be published on November 4.

At a press conference on Sunday, Mr. Bharadwaj said, “Three-time CM Arvind Kejriwal has been served a notice under the SIR process because, according to the SIR procedure, the names of Arvind Kejriwal, his wife and his children are not being mapped… What will happen to an ordinary person? That person has neither contacts nor networking nor access to the media.”

Mr. Bharadwaj said approximately one-third of the names have been deleted under the pretext of such ‘shifted’ voters and alleged that the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are deleting names of people even if they have moved to the house directly opposite.

‘Poor will bear the brunt’

Regarding the verification process for the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, he questioned how the BLO found Ms. Gupta in Shalimar Bagh, claiming that she does not even live in the area.

“BJP minister Kapil Mishra lives in a government bungalow, but his vote is registered in Ghonda, Yamuna Vihar. Education Minister Ashish Sood lives in a bungalow in Chanakyapuri, but how did his vote end up in A-Block, Janakpuri?… How did the BLO not know any of this, and where did the BLO meet these people? This is an absolutely open fraud in the name of SIR,” he said.

“If the voter card of a poor woman is deleted, she will not be able to get a pink card and ₹1,000 of her earnings will be spent on bus fares. The children of poor people will not get admission to schools because they do not have voter IDs,” he said.Questing the verification process in case of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, he said how did BLO find Ms. Gupta in Shalimar Bagh, when she doesn’t even live there. 

The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer on Friday published the list of electors flagged for discrepancies. Those on the list will have to get their documents verified to feature in the final roll. Other prominent names in the list include former Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and wife Sudesh Dhankhar, former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur, former Union Ministers Subramanian Swamy and Kapil Sibal, Delhi Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh, and New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj. While Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi is also on the list, the slot for the reason his name was flagged was left blank.

The Excise Department of the Delhi government on Sunday announced that it arrested 730 people and registered 725 FIRs over the last five months, seizing 2.20 lakh bottles of illegal liquor and 197 vehicles in a major bid to crack down on the illegal liquor trade in the Capital.

Reacting to the development, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that the Delhi government was following a zero-tolerance policy towards the illegal liquor trade and was working on an effective excise policy.

“The government is working on a new excise policy aimed at strengthening public safety, ensuring responsible regulation of the liquor trade, maintaining quality and increasing government revenue,” the CM said.

In the corresponding period from April to August in the financial year 2025-26, the department had arrested 312 people, registered 315 FIRs, recovered around one lakh bottles of illegal liquor, and seized 112 vehicles.

Ms. Gupta added that the government’s priority was to ensure adequate availability of legal liquor during festivals so that Delhi residents do not face any inconvenience, while also effectively curbing the sale and smuggling of illegal liquor.

According to the department, Delhi shares geographical boundaries with neighbouring states and has around 70 entry points, both large and small.

“Enforcement activities would be stepped up further in view of the upcoming festive season in Delhi. The department aims to take strict action against those involved in the illegal liquor trade while also ensuring the availability of liquor through legal channels in the city,” a statement from the CMO said.

The sale of liquor has been a highly contentious political issue in Delhi over the past few years, following the arrest of senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders over a new liquor policy introduced by the Kejriwal government. The new policy was ultimately scrapped and the old regime was brought back.

Checks on emissions

Meanwhile, in a video statement, Ms. Gupta announced all pollution testing centres in the city will be upgraded to effectively check emissions.

Noting a technology gap, she said private vehicles use petrol pump booths while commercial ones rely on outdated certification systems. To strengthen monitoring, every centre will be equipped with cameras. New automated stations in Tehkhand and Nand Nagri will each test 72,000 commercial vehicles annually.

Arpan centres

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said that over 41 tonnes of old clothes have been collected at Delhi Metro’s 10 Arpan centres and turned into useful products. These centres help residents who struggle to store or properly dispose of old garments.

As of August 31, 3,940 people deposited 41,181 kg of clothes. Self-help groups are using the material to make items like rugs, bags, and pouches, recording total sales of ₹27,036, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.

“Our effort is to make it easy and convenient for people to donate old clothes and ensure their maximum utilisation, thereby further strengthening efforts to make Delhi cleaner, more beautiful and greener,” Ms. Gupta said.

Five centres were launched on August 3, while the remaining centres became operational on August 12 and 17.

The government plans to expand the initiative by opening 10 more centres in January 2027 at major metro stations, including INA, Rajouri Garden, and Dwarka Sector 10.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, along with former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, inaugurated 25 Atal Canteens on Sunday, the death anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Delhi now has 100 such canteens, where meals are served twice a day for ₹5.

Each Atal Canteen aims to provide around 1,000 meals daily, 500 each for lunch and dinner, and over one lakh people will now receive meals every day from the canteens, as per the Delhi government.

At an event at the Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station, Ms. Gupta said that achieving the target of 100 Atal Canteens was a major milestone for the Delhi government. “This initiative is a meaningful tribute dedicated to the spirit of Antyodaya and the ideals of public service upheld by revered Atal ji. Atal ji’s life was devoted to the welfare of the person standing at the last mile of society and to the service of the nation. Carrying forward those very values, the Delhi government is striving to ensure that no needy person is deprived of respectful and nutritious food,” the Chief Minister said. 

Ms. Gupta said that a canteen has also been opened near the Delhi University metro station that will help outstation students access nutritious and affordable food.

Laudable Initiative

Mr. Naidu said that launching 100 Atal Canteens in Delhi is a highly commendable initiative and its goal is to provide affordable and nutritious food to the poor, slum dwellers, laborers, and people arriving in Delhi in search of employment. He said that this is a true example of sensitivity and service toward the most vulnerable sections of society.

The event was attended by BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, Education Minister Ashish Sood and others. 

In the run up to the 2025 Delhi Assembly election the BJP had promised to set up Atal Canteens in slum clusters to provide nutritious meals for ₹5 each. Till now, about 95 lakh subsidised meals have been served to the public through the Atal Canteen scheme without any holiday, as per the Delhi government. 

E-Cabinet system 

The Delhi Government is planning to implement a modern e-Cabinet system that can make the entire process of Delhi Government Cabinet meetings paperless, more secure, faster and more transparent. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta recently held a discussion with experts from the National Informatics Centre (NIC) on the issue. 

“With the introduction of an e-Cabinet system, the entire process related to Cabinet meetings can be conducted digitally. This will speed up decision-making, strengthen the security of confidential documents and make coordination among departments more effective,” an official statement said. 

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday defended the three-child limit for beneficiaries of the Delhi government’s Lakshmi Yojana, saying the condition was intended to protect women’s health and that decisions on family size should be left to individuals. 

Under the scheme, women aged 21 to 60 with more than three children are not eligible for the monthly assistance of ₹2,500. 

Ms. Gupta was responding to criticism from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal, who had questioned the condition while citing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks that Hindus should have as many children as possible. 

“If a family wants to expand, it will not stop after listening to Rekha Gupta. Nor will it expand if Mohan Bhagwat says so. People make decisions about family planning according to their own needs,” Ms. Gupta said in the Assembly. 

“But no woman is a machine for giving birth to children. Her health is extremely important to us,” she added. 

Ms. Gupta also rejected the view that women should have more children if a family does not have a son. “This BJP government in Delhi does not support this narrow mindset,” she said. 

“My topmost priority is the health of my sisters. The entire world knows and the medical world says how a woman’s body is destroyed due to repeated pregnancies.  That is why I have imposed the condition of three children in the scheme,” she said. 

CM attacks opposition 

She accused the previous Congress and AAP governments of making promises without providing financial assistance to women under such a scheme. 

“There were many promises and big claims, but not a single rupee was ever given to Delhi’s women under such a scheme,” she said. 

Ms. Gupta also criticised AAP MLAs who had raised the issue in the House but did not stay for her response, saying she had challenged them to remain in the Assembly and listen to her reply. 

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party workers protested outside the residences or offices of all 22 AAP MLAs who boycotted the discussion on the Delhi Lakshmi Yojana in the Assembly.  

17 lakh women targeted 

Later in the Assembly, Ms. Gupta said registration for the Lakshmi Yojana would continue until all eligible women were covered. 

“Around 5.92 lakh registrations have already been done under the scheme in just 10 days. Our target is 17 lakh women. We will not stop registration until we reach that figure,” she said. 

AAP MLA and former Minister Gopal Rai said the scheme had too many restrictions and that only a small percentage of women would benefit from it. He urged the government to reconsider the eligibility conditions. 

(With inputs from PTI)

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday (August 8, 2026) visited a Kanwar camp in Dilshad Garden of east Delhi, close to the border with Uttar Pradesh, and assured that the government has ensured Kanwariyas will not face any difficulties.

The CM welcomed devotees by showering flower petals and interacted with them to inquire about their journey and camp arrangements. 

“During the month of Sawan, thousands of Shiv devotees travel on foot carrying holy water from the Ganges in Haridwar to reach their destinations and perform jalabhishekam of Lord Shiva. Every Kanwariya is revered and respected as an embodiment of Lord Bholenath, and this year, a large number of women are also participating in the Kanwar Yatra. The Delhi Government is striving to ensure that no devotee or camp encounters any difficulty,” she said. 

Ms. Gupta said that the government is extending financial assistance, sanitation services, healthcare, traffic management, mobile toilets, and other essential facilities to Kanwar Seva committees.

“The ongoing efforts across various locations in Delhi to serve and welcome Shiv devotees reflect a beautiful example of community service and religious devotion,” she added. 

With geopolitical situation normalising, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday (July 4, 2026) ordered rollback of a work from home (WFH) measure and staggered timings she had earlier announced for government offices.

In May, Ms. Gupta had ordered work from home for two days for government offices, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s austerity push to conserve energy keeping in mind the war in Iran.

“Now that the geopolitical situation has practically normalised. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has approved withdrawal of work from home on Wednesday and Saturday,” her office said.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday said the government’s administrative functioning has seen a “visible transformation” since the launch of the eOffice system on July 1 last year, with over 75% of the departments and offices now using the platform to carry out their work.

She said the shift to the online platform has accelerated file disposal, improved transparency and accountability in government functioning, and helped ensure the timely delivery of public services.

The system has also made record-keeping more secure, reduced unnecessary delays and enabled smoother coordination among departments, Ms. Gupta said, adding that the government is steadily expanding the platform to cover more departments and institutions. As per the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), over 1.4 lakh e-files and more than 9.2 lakh e-receipts have been processed since July 2025. The eOffice system now covers 235 departments and offices, and the number of active users stands at 15,748.

“Earlier, most official work was carried out through paper files. Today, file movement, correspondence and approvals are handled online,” Ms. Gupta said. She added that the system makes it easy to track which official is handling a particular file and what action has been taken on it, which helps in improving accountability.

Overall, 177 of the 235 departments and offices — over 75% — are now regularly carrying out official work through the eOffice system, the CMO said. In addition, 21 of the 48 educational institutions have adopted the eOffice platform, it added.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday said development works worth ₹441.10 crore are under way in jhuggi-jhopdi (JJ) clusters across the city through the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to improve the quality of life for lakhs of residents.

The projects include the construction and repair of basic civic infrastructure, upgrading community buildings, improvements to drinking water supply and sewerage systems, development of lanes and internal roads, repair of drains, strengthening of street lighting and electrical infrastructure, construction of boundary walls and entrance gates, storm water drainage works, beautification of public spaces, and renovation of community toilets.

According to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, the projects aim to provide better civic amenities in JJ clusters and make neighbourhoods safer, cleaner and more convenient.

“A total of 1,510 development and construction works have been approved in JJ clusters during 2025-26 and 2026-27 through DUSIB. Of these, 1,253 works worth ₹379.80 crore were approved in 2025-26, while 257 works worth ₹61.30 crore have so far been cleared in 2026-27. Development works worth ₹441.10 crore are being carried out over the two financial years,” read the statement.

It added that development works are being prioritised in Narela, Timarpur, Adarsh Nagar, Jahangirpuri, Azadpur, Bawana, Rohini, Seemapuri, Trilokpuri, Shahdara, Karawal Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Dwarka and Najafgarh. “These projects reflect the government’s commitment to social justice, inclusive development and public welfare,” the statement quoted Ms. Gupta as saying.

The Delhi government has brought 23 additional services under the Delhi (Right Of Citizen To Time Bound Delivery Of Services) Act, 2011 to ensure quicker delivery of services within fixed deadlines, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated in a release on Monday.

Following the revision, approval of factory plans by the Labour Department will be granted within 15 days while registration under the Shops and Establishments Act will be completed within a day. The Delhi Jal Board will provide sewerage connections within 15 days, among other services, said the CMO.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the decision will directly benefit the common people as well as businesses associated with trade, hospitality, tourism, construction and services sectors. She said the government’s objective is to ensure that citizens and businesses receive services within a defined time frame, and that important approvals, licences, registrations and no-objection certificates (NOCs) issued by various departments are delivered within stipulated timelines.

Bringing additional services within the ambit of the services delivery Act, she added, will reduce unnecessary delays and minimise the need for visits to government offices.

‘Safeguarding rights’

Ms. Gupta said the government remains committed to making the city more conducive to investment, business, and employment opportunities and that the time-bound service delivery mechanism will not only safeguard citizens’ rights but also strengthen administrative accountability.

With the inclusion of new services, the Forest and Wildlife Department will dispose of applications seeking permission for tree felling under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act within 60 days.

The Public Works Department will grant permissions related to road cutting and associated works within 45 days, and the registration of builders and agents under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act will be completed within 30 days.

“There were about 500 services that were already covered under the Act. Action could be taken against officials concerned for not adhering to the deadlines,” a source at the CMO said.

Set timelines

“Hotel registrations or operational permissions and slaughterhouse licences will also be granted within 60 days. Permission for the installation of mobile towers will be provided within 30 days, while approval for the storage of construction material will be available within a single day,” read the CMO statement.

“The Agriculture Department will complete processes related to pesticide control operation licences, sales registrations and seed licences within 21 days each. Under the Excise Department, bar licences will be issued within 30 days, while brand and label registrations under both the IMFL (Indian-Made Foreign Liquor) and FL (Foreign Liquor) categories will be completed within 42 days,” it added.

Other services

Similarly, registrations of water sports and adventure sports operators, and approvals for operating amusement parks, will be issued within 60 days.

NOCs from local bodies required for obtaining State licences for food businesses will be issued within 60 days.

Applications related to electricity meters will be processed within 60 days. Registration of weighing and measuring instruments used in commercial establishments under Legal Metrology will be completed within 45 days. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee will issue authorisations related to the collection, transportation and recycling of battery waste within 15 days.

Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Taranjit Singh Sandhu, along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, on Monday chaired a Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) meeting to review the status of the ongoing enforcement drive against illegal buildings, fire safety violations, and the city’s disaster management preparedness.

The L-G, who is also the DDMA Chairman, suggested exploring the induction of former Agniveers into the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) to address the shortage of manpower and fill operational vacancies to strengthen emergency response in the Capital.

Expressing displeasure over the fire department’s enforcement record, Mr. Sandhu said the DFS had not issued a single notice during the ongoing drive against violations. He directed the DFS Principal Director to take immediate action and submit updates to the offices of the L-G, Chief Minister and Home Minister.

Home Minister Ashish Sood and PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh were also present in the meeting.

The DDMA accepted a proposal by Mr. Sood to enforce Section 32 of the Delhi Fire Services Act, 2007, extending fire prevention and safety measures to all multi-storey buildings in Delhi, irrespective of whether they require a fire safety certificate.

At present, buildings taller than 15 metres are required to obtain a no-objection certificate from the DFS.

Reviewing the ongoing crackdown on illegal and unsafe structures, the L-G said enforcement should be strict but must not lead to harassment of ordinary residents.

No room for excuses: CM

The Chief Minister underlined that all government agencies and authorities must work seamlessly as one team to deliver results, noting that there is no room for excuses or underutilised administrative powers.