NEW DELHI: British high commissioner to India, Alex Ellis, called upon chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at Delhi Secretariat on Friday and discussed the possibility of a collaboration in road works, education and healthcare.
The Delhi government in a statement said that the British high commissioner also praised the Kejriwal government’s work in the field of education, healthcare and governance reforms. Ellis was accompanied by British Council of India director Barbara Wickham.
Officials said that the CM and the high commissioner held an extensive discussion on the issues of road beautification, and prioritisation of health and education by the Delhi government. The two leaders also expressed their desire to work together by sharing knowledge in the areas of road infrastructure, education, healthcare and sustainability.
"Both of them discussed the possibility of signing a knowledge sharing agreement between the Delhi Government and Britain to work together in these areas," the Delhi government in a statement said. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi vice chairperson Jasmine Shah were also present in the meeting.
Officials said that CM Kejriwal discussed his government’s core priorities and governance models with the British High Commissioner. “We are radically working upon enhancing Delhi’s water supply mechanism, reducing air pollution, and making transport more accessible and sustainable… We've done a fantastic job in education and health care, and it's being talked about across the country and worldwide,” the press statement quoted the CM as saying.
Kejriwal also told the British guests that his government allocated 25% of the state budget for education and in the last seven years spent almost Rs 85,000 crore on education reforms. He also drew parallels between Delhi and London’s healthcare models during the discussion. “Mohalla Clinics have been set up in every locality. This is similar to the universal healthcare system in the UK where primary healthcare centres are in the vicinity of every residential area,” the CM told the British High Commissioner.
He added that Delhi and Britain can collaborate on green building, solar policy, waste management, road designing and electric buses, the government said in a statement.
