Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday laid the foundation stone for development works in the national capital’s slum areas under the Jhuggi Basti Sampark Abhiyan Toli scheme. The inauguration took place at the Chief Minister’s Public Service Centre on the occasion of India’s 77th Republic Day.During the inauguration, she noted that this was the first time a budget of ₹700 crore had been specifically allocated for slum dwellers. She asserted that these residents can now live peacefully and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing them with a dignified, high-quality life. “It was for the first time that a budget of Rs 700 crore was provided for slum dwellers. We decided to provide for all the facilities such as parks, safety, roads, sanitation, and drinking water. The government took these works into its hands, and we inaugurated this. The previous governments spread fear that the BJP would stop free electricity and water, but these slum dwellers can now live peacefully. We are committed to providing them a good and quality life,” Gupta told reporters here. Earlier, on the eve of Republic Day, the Delhi Chief Minister announced that within the next three years, 100 per cent of Delhi’s public transport buses will be converted into an emission-free electric fleet. Addressing the gathering, CM Rekha Gupta said, “The Delhi government has doubled its capital expenditure. Rs 30 thousand crore will now be spent on capital expenditure in Delhi. To make Delhi better, we have decided that within three years, 100 per cent of Delhi’s public transport buses will be converted into an emission-free electric fleet. All necessary arrangements have been made to ensure that Delhi receives 11,000 electric buses. The infrastructure required to maintain these electric buses, such as new charging stations and new bus depots, is being created rapidly.”