L-G Sandhu aligns Delhi with PM Modi’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, outlines key priorities for capital
Linking the development agenda to his own long association with Delhi, Sandhu said he had known and worked in the city for the past 50 years
Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Saturday used the 80th Independence Day to align the capital’s development priorities with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047, calling for closer coordination between the Union and Delhi Governments, civic bodies, neighbouring states and citizens.
Sandhu hoisted the national flag at Lok Niwas in the presence of freedom fighters and their families, RWA representatives, youth icons, students and residents. A ceremonial police contingent presented the national salute.
In his address, the L-G referred to Modi’s Independence Day speech from the Red Fort earlier in the day and said the Prime Minister’s vision of “Shakti Ki Saptadhara” was particularly relevant to Delhi. The seven streams identified in the address cover manufacturing, agriculture and food processing, technology and innovation, Gati Shakti, Raksha Shakti, the Green and Blue Economy, and India’s soft power.
Sandhu appealed to Delhi’s residents to take the capital’s development beyond the city’s boundaries and help it contribute to the national goal of achieving Viksit Bharat @ 2047. He said Delhi should work towards becoming a “Viksit Dilli” and emerge as a national model of excellence, safety and civic pride.
Linking the development agenda to his own long association with Delhi, Sandhu said he had known and worked in the city for the past 50 years. He described Delhi as his ‘karmabhoomi’ and said service to the capital was not merely an administrative duty but a sacred responsibility.
He said every district, street and neighbourhood of Delhi had its own story and argued that the city’s potential had to be converted into “convenience, dignity and well-being for every citizen”.
The core message of the address was on coordination. Sandhu said Delhi’s public governance should be rooted in the Prime Minister’s resolve of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas aur Sabka Prayas”. He stressed that the Union Government, Delhi Government, municipal bodies, neighbouring states and citizens would need to work together to address the challenges facing the capital.
Among the issues he identified were cleaning the Yamuna, tackling air pollution, ensuring housing for all, providing affordable healthcare, improving safety and security, particularly for women and children, managing traffic, and rejuvenating Delhi’s heritage.
Rather than treating infrastructure, public health, pollution, safety and heritage as separate issues, the L-G presented them as part of the larger task of building a city that can support the national development vision.
Sandhu also spoke about the role of citizens, particularly young people, in that process. He described the youth as the ultimate drivers of Delhi’s future and said their energy, creative ideas and civic sense were the real strength of a modern Delhi.
He called upon citizens to keep their neighbourhoods clean, protect public spaces and follow their Fundamental Duties. “The government can build beautiful public spaces, but only citizens can sustain them,” Sandhu said.
He specifically urged youth, influencers, RWAs, traders and citizens to participate with a positive spirit. He also said the quality of a city is reflected in the way it treats its weaker sections, and that a city which truly cares for them is the mark of a genuinely civilised and forward-thinking society.
His address ended with the ambition to make Delhi a premier capital of the world, combining its heritage with modernity in service delivery and ensuring that citizens feel safe, valued and empowered.
Sandhu’s appeal was for Delhi to use its position at the centre of the country to become a model of governance, civic responsibility and public service as India works towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
