End Appeasement, Prioritize Urban Reform, Save Delhi! Ex Chief Secretary to CM Rekha Gupta
End Appeasement, Prioritize Urban Reform: Shailaja Chandra
In a scathing open letter published in The Indian Express, former Delhi Chief Secretary Shailaja Chandra called on Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to seize a historic opportunity to reverse Delhi’s urban decay by abandoning decades of “appeasement politics” and embracing bold, long-term urban planning.
Chandra, 81, who also served as Union Health Ministry secretary, described Delhi as at a “moment of reckoning” and urged Gupta to show political courage to outshine even the legacy of late Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Congratulating Gupta on taking charge of “India’s most demanding urban assignment,” Chandra clarified she has no political agenda or desire for an advisory role, only a call for transformative action.
“You can interrupt the decay—or inherit its failed logic. Delhi deserves courage, not administrative tinkering,” she wrote, emphasizing Gupta’s advantage with support from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Housing Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Chandra criticized successive governments for prioritizing vote-bank politics over sustainable planning, turning Delhi’s migrant influx into a “politics of patronage.”
She highlighted the crisis: seven million people live in unauthorized colonies, industrial effluents with carcinogens pollute storm-water drains, and the Yamuna River is “choking.” Posts on X have echoed similar concerns, noting recent demolition drives in areas like Ashok Vihar and Batla House as signs of Gupta’s intent to act decisively against illegal encroachments.
Blaming ad hoc policies, judicial reversals, and legislative leniency for enabling large-scale land encroachments, Chandra demanded an end to “endless retrofitting.” She urged Gupta to set a firm limit on regularizing illegal colonies, publicly declare no further encroachments will be legitimized, and deploy enforcement tools in coordination with state machinery.
Chandra also proposed “migration-responsive” housing near employment hubs, temporary structures for new migrants, and service distribution based on need, not political convenience. As Delhi grapples with unchecked urbanization, Chandra’s letter serves as a clarion call for Gupta to redefine the capital’s future, prioritizing sustainability over short-term political gains. The Chief Minister’s response, if any, could shape Delhi’s trajectory for decades to come.
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