New Delhi, Feb 25: Delhi Cabinet Minister Parvesh Verma officially assumed charge as the Public Works Department (PWD) Minister on Tuesday, walking in the footsteps of his illustrious father Sahib Singh Verma who served on the Council of Ministers and went on to become the Chief Minister.

After assuming charge, the 48-year-old Jat leader, largely seen as Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s deputy, promised to clean the Yamuna as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and make the river a symbol of Delhi’s identity.

He also holds the portfolios of Legislative Affairs, Irrigation and Flood Control, Water, and Gurdwara Elections.

Verma took to social media and said in a post, “Taking a vow to serve my family members of Delhi state, I assumed charge as Cabinet Minister today. We all are fortunate to have the guidance and leadership of the world's most popular leader and the country's Prime Minister, Honourable Mr @narendramodiji.”

“This time, under the double engine BJP government, we must work for the mission to establish Delhi as a non-stop leading state and a developed capital. I want to assure every resident of Delhi that our government will work dedicatedly for service, good governance, equality and welfare of the poor,” he said.

Speaking in the Delhi Assembly earlier, Verma said, “The people of Delhi have voted for the BJP for a developed capital and formed the government and ousted from power those who reduced Delhi to a hotbed of corruption for 11 years and deprived the people of Delhi even basic facilities.”

Hitting out at the unparliamentary practices of the Arvind Kejriwal government, Verma said AAP-da has always used the House for its own benefit rather than for the benefit of the public.

“The dignity of the House was shattered and even today during the address of the Lieutenant Governor, the AAP members insulted the House and the Constitution. For this, the Speaker should take strict action against the Opposition leaders. These people do not want the people of Delhi to get facilities, Yamuna to be cleaned. But we will work with full commitment to fulfil every promise made to the people of Delhi,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the PWD minister hailed the life term awarded to Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in the 1984 anti-riots case, recalling how his father Sahib Singh Verma sheltered 22 Sikhs to save them from Congress rioters.

Verma, a two-time MP, holds the record for the highest victory margin on a Lok Sabha seat in Delhi. In 2019, he beat his Congress rival in West Delhi by 2.87 lakh votes.

The Jat leader emerged as a giant killer in the recent Assembly elections by beating AAP stalwart and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the latter’s own constituency of New Delhi.

--IANS

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