Despite the controversies surrounding the 19th Commonwealth Games, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit considers its successful hosting a major achievement of her Government in power for 13 years now.

In her annual address to top officials of the Delhi Government after completion of 13 years in the office, Dikshit termed hosting of CWG and trifurcation of MCD as her Government’s biggest achievement. The chief minister also released a ‘Working Report 2011’, highlighting achievements by various departments and agencies in the last few years in their endeavour to make Delhi a world-class city. Dikshit also identified for the next one year three top priority areas — effective maintenance of new infrastructure, providing roof to slum-dwellers and making Delhi the cleanest city in the country.

Lauding bureaucrats for their “dedication and hardwork” in making the Commonwealth Games a great success, Dikshit exhorted them to show the same vigour and zeal for implementation of various projects and schemes now. “I can say with great amount of pride that the Delhi Government did wonderfully well and came out with flying colours in successful hosting of the Commonwealth Games.

But our tasks are not over and we have a long way to go,” said Dikshit, adding that the main focus would be on maintenance of infrastructure created in the run-up to the Commonwealth Games. Later, responding to a query on whether her 13-year tenure as chief minister was tarnished by allegations of graft and irregularities pointed out by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Shunglu Committee in their reports on Commonwealth Games projects, Dikshit said on the sidelines of a function that appropriate action would be taken against anybody found guilty of wrongdoing in Commonweath Games spendings based on the recommendations of Public Accounts Committee and the GoM examining the CAG and Shunglu Committee reports respectively.

Earlier, Chief Secretary Pravin Kumar Tripathi admitted that the Government could not be taken any project after the successful execution of CWG due to VK Shunglu Committee and CAG as the Government was busy in replying their queries. Terming trifurcation of the MCD as a historic decision since 1998, Dikshit said the decision will go a long way in bringing local administration close to people. While commending the courage and commitment of the present MCD Commissioner KS Mehra, Dikshit said, “You will be the last of the great Municipal Commissioners. The coming up of the three new Municipal Corporations in Delhi will result in the end of a great empire.”

Dikshit said the Government will provide top priority for transition from one MCD to the three municipal bodies and start their smooth functioning. “In providing 50 per cent reservation to women in the new municipal bodies, we have shown an extraordinary courage,” Dikshit added.

Asking all agencies concerned to ensure better upkeep of the infrastructure, Dikshit, who completed 13 years in power last month, said there would not be any shortage of funds for it as the Government had set aside four per cent of project costs for maintenance. She said her Government was determined to make the national capital a slum-free city and was working sincerely to realise it. “In the next two-three years, we should be able to make Delhi a slum-free area,” she said, asking the officials to take the task sincerely. “We learn lessons from mistakes only. If we do not work, then we will not make any mistakes,” she said.

Highlighting various achievements of her Government, she focussed on better transport services, education infrastructure and healthcare facilities while admitting that there were lacunae in the public distribution system. “We have been trying very hard to further improve the transport facilities and it will take 8-10 years to improve the situation as the Government has decided to introduce mono rail soon in east Delhi as part of that effort,” said Dikshit.

“This is the first annual address by her in the past 13 years in which she has not set agenda for bureaucracy in the Delhi Government,” a Delhi Government senior official said on the condition of anonymity.