New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the Centre’s resolve to rejuvenate the Yamuna river is not a political move but an effort to honour the sacred place the river holds in the hearts of the people.

Shah was speaking after inaugurating and laying the foundation stone for development projects worth around Rs 1,816 crore of the Delhi government in the national capital. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and several other dignitaries were present at the event.

Extending advance greetings to the people of Delhi for Diwali and Chhath Puja, Shah said that about 80 per cent of the projects inaugurated on Thursday are linked to efforts to clean the Yamuna.

“When the people of Delhi chose change, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that purifying Mother Yamuna would be the top priority of his government. He promised to complete this task by 2029,” Shah said. “By merely reducing corruption and cutting down on advertisement expenses, the dream of a clean Yamuna can be realised,” he added.

He said that under PM Modi’s leadership, a plan has been prepared to clean the Yamuna up to Prayagraj within the next seven months. “The AAP-da government had promised to clean the Yamuna and take a dip in it, but they didn’t take the dip — instead, the people of Delhi made them sink,” Shah quipped, while hitting out at the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government. In 2020, Kejriwal had promised that before the next elections, they would ensure that the Yamuna became so clean that people would be able to take a dip in it. He had said he would join people in taking a dip.

The home minister said that during the previous governments, which ruled Delhi for 15 and 11 years respectively, people were deprived of development, while the current government is working with the resolve to make the national capital globally renowned for its progress. Shah announced that the garbage mountains in Delhi, which once rose to 65 metres, will be cleared by January 1, 2028, and beautiful gardens will be developed in their place.

Highlighting the broader vision of the PM Modi-led central government, Shah said PM Modi has resolved to secure the nation, advance the economy, and make India a leader in every field by 2047. He pointed out that recently Modi completed 24 years of continuous service as chief minister and prime minister, describing him as the first leader in the country to have served that long in both roles.

“During these 24 years, Prime Minister Modi initiated several new endeavours that laid the foundation for fulfilling the dreams of our freedom fighters and brought good governance to the ground level,” he said.

Marking the conclusion of Seva Pakhwada, Shah said that while the initiative began with 17 projects worth more than Rs 1,700 crore being inaugurated in Delhi, the Thursday’s event saw 11 projects inaugurated and the foundation stones laid for eight others, costing around Rs 1,800 crore.

On economic measures, Shah said that on the first day of Navratri, Prime Minister Modi reduced GST rates on more than 395 items—bringing them down to zero or five per cent—and made income up to Rs 12 lakh tax-free in the Union Budget. “Together, these steps have saved the public around Rs 2.5 lakh crore,” he said.

“This transformation has been possible only because the people of the country have elected Shri Narendra Modi as Prime Minister for the third consecutive time,” Shah said.

The home minister said that as soon as the new government took charge in Delhi, the Ayushman Bharat scheme—providing free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh—was implemented within the first week. He accused the previous Delhi government of depriving citizens of the scheme’s benefits and running Mohalla Clinics without basic facilities.

“In the 57 Mohalla Clinics opened by the previous government, there were no glucometers; 45 had no X-ray machines, 21 lacked pulse-checking devices, and 38 did not even have thermometers. Treatment cannot be provided in such clinics,” he said, and alleged that the previous government was involved in several scams related to CNG, liquor, advertisements, medicines, classrooms, the Delhi Jal Board, Sheesh Mahal, CCTV, and panic buttons.

Shah also claimed that the previous central government was involved in scams worth Rs 12 lakh crore, whereas in Prime Minister Modi’s 11 years of governance, not a single corruption allegation has been made.

“This shows that our governments are truly dedicated to serving the people,” he said. PTI SLB/SSM MNK MNK