Topmost on the list was steps to be taken to overcome the city's power problem so that summer of '98 is not repeated. Of the new power plants that are being commissioned, the L-G said, the 300 MW Pragati power project which is likely to be operational by the year 2000 has been awarded to Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd (BHEL) on a turn-key basis. Its techno-economic assessment is pending with the Central Electricity Authority.

The 421 MW Bawana Phase-I power project is, however, scheduled for re-tendering after the Delhi Vidyut Board scrapped the deal with Reliance India Ltd (RIL). Negotiations are in progress with the lowest bidder of 600-650 MW Bawana Phase-II project, the L-G said. The L-G expressed satisfaction that high prices of food items and essential commodities, which caused tremendous suffering to the consumer and housewives in particular, have started falling. To help this objective, teams have been constituted under sub-division magistrates for carrying out anti-hoarding drives in all the nine districts of Delhi, he said.

The L-G stressed that government efforts will be intensified to ensure that more police stations are headed by women police officers, and to give women an increasing sense of security in the Capital.

The government will take appropriate action according to the law against those involved in the 1984 riots, he said with loud applause from the Treasury benches.

For augmenting the water supply, the Delhi government is making all-out efforts to persuade the Haryana government to release more raw water from the Western Yamuna Canal, he said. The government will also pursue release of additional water from Tehri Dam, he added.

For improvement of the health care system, more hospitals, especially in rural areas, will be provided. A drive will be launched to clean-up Delhi so as to drastically reduce the outbreak of epidemics.

On the public transport system, he said the fleet of buses with the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) needs to be augmented to enable more bus routes and improved service. The non-polluting Mass Rapid Transport System, already under construction, will significantly improve the transport network of the Capital. The government plans to make the section between Shahdara and Tis Hazari operational by the year 2002.

The government will focus on mass literacy, non-formal education and improvement of quality of education at elementary level as well as infrastructure of the existing schools and colleges, he said.

``My government,'' the L-G said, ``will take special steps for de-polluting the Yamuna River and natural methods of protecting the environment and improving the green lung of the city.''