India will get back its 'golden age' in ten years: Arvind Kejriwal

AAP decides to shed VIP culture; dispenses security and red beacon cars for ministers.

Update: 2013-12-28 19:16 GMT

New Delhi: Holding out the promise of a "new beginning" in Indian politics, Arvind Kejriwal, who was sworn in as Delhi Chief Minister on Monday, said that in coming ten years India's "golden age" will be "restored".

"In coming ten years, the country will once again live up to its moniker of the golden bird (aane wale das saalon mein desh wapas sone ki chidiya kehlaiga)," Kejriwal said here.

Taking reins of power on Aam Aadmi plank, the new government in Delhi decided to shed vestiges of VIP culture by dispensing with security and red beacon cars for ministers and officials and promising action on free water supply and cutting down of power rates in the next few days. 

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who met officials of various departments shortly after taking oath of office and secrecy, also promised to get back on the issue of the steep increase in the price of compressed and piped natural gas effected on Thursday. He also promised there will be no witch-hunt against officials who work honestly and in people's interest. 
 
"No minister or official in Delhi government will be allowed to use red beacon," Kejriwal said after chairing the first cabinet meeting. The cabinet also decided that no Personal Security Officer and escort vehicle will be be provided to any official. "Security is to be allowed based on threat perception," he said.

In a stirring 20-minute speech Kejriwal, who was sworn in on Monday as Chief Minister, asked the people, politicians and bureaucrats to "work together for a greater collective future of the country".

"People of Delhi will have to show it to the people that if we can come together, if all politicians come together and if all officials come together, then there is nothing that we cannot achieve," Kejriwal said drawing a resounding applause.

Wrapped in his usual 'aam aadmi' dress, , Kejriwal in his speech promised to the people a "corruption-free government" and "new style" of governance without "arrogance of power".

No minister or official in Delhi governement will use red beacon, decided Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on his first cabinet meeting.

Read more: Congress, BJP, Left congratulate CM Kejriwal

"Our aim was not to get power, to become CM or ministers but to hand the governance back into the hands of the people Kejriwal asked his minsters and partymen to shun arrogance. "We were born to remove the arrogance of big parties. We should be careful that no other party has to take birth to dismantle us," he said.

Minutes after assuming the reins of power, the 45-year-old Magsaysay award-winner laid out a preliminary roadmap for his government in his speech before holding the first cabinet meet later. 

Chief Minister Kejriwal also asked everyone present at the venue to take a pledge to never indulge in corruption and concluded his speech with a Manna Dey song from the film 'Paigam'.

"Let us all take a pledge from this day to neither take nor give any bribe," he said. "And if anybody asks you for a bribe, don't give it.

Report it to us so that we can catch them red-handed. We will make India corruption-free," he added. 

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