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Delhi L-G VK Saxena and former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant talk about the challenges of urbanisation, making Delhi a world-class national capital and inculcating cultural literacy in the country. They were in conversation with Vandita Mishra, National Opinion Editor, The Indian Express.
Vandita Mishra: Mr Kant, you just hung up your government boots after 45 years, you’ve resigned as the G20 Sherpa. How are you looking at the road ahead, the next 45 years?
Amitabh Kant: I’m moving from the government to free enterprise. Because I’m trying to reinvent myself after nearly 47 years in government, it was important that I had worked in the state government, the Central government, done Make in India, done God’s Own Country and Incredible India.
Mr Saxena, your office has been in the spotlight since you took over as the L-G. How are you coping with the fact that it has now shifted, there’s now a BJP chief minister in place in Delhi?
VK Saxena: What you mentioned about the BJP government coming to power and me not being visible — I don’t agree with that. I was visible on the roads before and am so even now. In the last three years, I’ve done about 1,100 site visits within Delhi. The real Delhi is away from the NDMC area, places where there aren’t proper roads and sidewalks… dust everywhere and sewer lines overflowing. My effort will be to work with the current government to improve things. That’s my goal.
Amitabh Kant: Just last week the L-G’s office did something revolutionary. If anyone wanted to open a restaurant, they had to run around the Delhi Police offices to get licences. It used to take a whole year. For the first time in 45 years, all the police clearances have been removed. All state governments should follow this.
Mr Saxena, recently, the speculation was that you might be going to Kashmir.
VK Saxena: You should never pay attention to rumours. As long as I’m here, I will keep serving Delhi. I endorse Mr Kant’s views. There’s a real need to improve the ease of doing business. I had already approved 24×7 hotels last year for three-star, four-star and five-star categories. We will change Delhi soon.
Mr Kant’s journey, for example, is the traditional insider’s path — St Stephen’s, then JNU, and civil services. Do you think that as you rise through the ranks in the system, you are better able to bring about change? Or does coming into the system from outside let you see things with fresh eyes and do more?
VK Saxena: Every bureaucrat should spend at least six months in a corporate house. There, decisions involving crores are made in seconds. The focus is on quality and timely execution. Unfortunately, in the government it is a system of L1, where cost matters most, quality has no value. I have been pushing to prioritise quality over money.
Mr Kant, you were a district collector in Calicut. Now, when you look back, 45 years later, are there learnings that you carried with you from your time there?
Amitabh Kant: Calicut was the place where Vasco da Gama landed and discovered India. And they said if Vasco da Gama were to come back, he would find Calicut exactly the same. I demolished over 1,200 encroachments, built 26 roads and tore down five hotels. I faced 18 contempt of court cases. Vasco da Gama will never be able to say this is the same district, but I suffered for it. I did not get a posting for about 11 months. As a punishment posting, they made me secretary for tourism. Back then, nobody used to visit Kerala. I saw it as an opportunity to develop its backwaters, Ayurveda, boat rides and cultural art forms. So, every crisis was an opportunity for me and I used it to build God’s Own Country.
