We will make Delhi an ultra-modern and India’s first corruption-free city, Kejriwal promised. We will make Delhi an ultra-modern and India’s first corruption-free city, Kejriwal promised.

Taking a dig at “bureaucratic arrogance”, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the AAP government was looking at a complete administrative overhaul and would introduce a system of “reward and punishment” through promotions, demotions and cash incentives to “change attitudes”.

Attending the Dismissal Service at St Stephen’s College, which is currently in the eye of a controversy over the banning of an e-magazine, Kejriwal was welcomed with applause by students and was called the “most dearly loved CM” by Principal Valson Thampu.

Speaking at the ceremony, Kejriwal said he had been reviewing all departments of the government through presentations made by secretaries and had found that several departments were “redundant”.

Students of St Stephen’s College after the convocation ceremony on Saturday. (Source: Express photo by Praveen Khanna) Students of St Stephen’s College after the convocation ceremony on Saturday. (Source: Express photo by Praveen Khanna)

Citing an example, without naming the department, Kejriwal claimed that the secretary concerned was unable to answer when asked what the “actual work” of the department was.

Comparing the official to the “bureaucrat in the TV show Yes Prime Minister”, Kejriwal joked that the official “kept saying things that I couldn’t understand”.

The example was greeted with much mirth by the audience, which consisted of St Stephen’s students, parents, alumni and teachers.

The Chief Minister then said the government was considering “winding up, merging and redeploying” the official set-up to ensure smoother governance.

“We will make Delhi an ultra-modern and India’s first corruption-free city,” the CM promised.

He also took a dig at the media, saying he was “not talking about closing down departments but about restructuring”.

Citing another example of “bureaucratic arrogance”, he said the chairman of a Delhi government organisation was forced to wait for almost a month to get an appointment with the secretary of a related department.

“The world has moved forward but our governance and bureaucratic systems haven’t grown. They still look at how they can interfere in people’s lives, how they can make things more difficult,” Kejriwal said.

The CM, who spoke to the students about his life experiences working with the likes of Mother Teresa and Anna Hazare, also urged students to “participate in democracy”, and not just focus on careers and making money.

Hinting at a possible volunteer and internship programme with the government, Kejriwal also invited students to “work with the Delhi government for one year” and “take time off” from their careers.

“We want people to participate in governance and not just be consumers of government decisions,” he said.

Meanwhile, sources in the Delhi government said the invitation was “an idea” similar to the recent move to invite volunteers to work as researchers in the Delhi Dialogues Commission and for conducting education surveys.

Speaking about participative democracy, Kejriwal also mentioned mohalla sabhas and the “participative budget” exercise being launched on Sunday.

“We are going to the people to ask them what they want done in their neighbourhoods,’ Kejriwal said.

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