'New' Delhi: The great Indian dream

LOPAMUDRA GHATAK / INDIATIMES NEWS NETWORK / Apr 27, 2006, 22:43 IST

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As Delhi's population grows, there is a need to develop new cities around it, says Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

NEW DELHI: The Capital is not merely the abode of the high and mighty that walk the corridors of power. It is also a city that provides extremely attractive economic opportunities for professionals of India Inc., who have been flocking to Delhi in large numbers from across the country.
For Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, the influx, especially from Kerala, Bihar and the North-East, is just a natural progression of Delhi's march toward becoming a global city.
"High wages have pumped Delhi's equity as one of the most sought after industry hotspots of the country. It has also enhanced confidence and satisfaction among the people," Sheila Dikshit said while felicitating winners of the Times Now "I know the 'New' Delhi" campaign in the Capital on Thursday.
The winners themselves bore testimony to the melting pot that is Delhi. Congratulating winners Rohan Bajaj and Jagbhushanrai Jain, Mr Vineet Jain, MD Times Group & Chairman, Times Global Broadcasting Co. Ltd said: "The stupendous response received for the Times Now contest from the viewers symbolises the zeal and zest that the 'New' Delhi possesses". Also present at the occasion were Sunil Lulla, CEO, Times Global Broadcasting Co. Ltd and Arnab Goswami, Editor-in-chief, Times Now.

Winner Bajaj, 24, who works with ICICI Prudential Insurance, loves chilling out with his friends in Vasant Vihar, while Jagbhushanrai Jain, a State Bank of Patiala employee, is extremely optimistic about Delhi's future as a world city.
Over the years, Delhi's demographics have undergone considerable change. From being a city that bore the brunt of being unwieldy -- pollution, weak public transport system, high crime rate, not-so-strong infrastructure -- Delhi has now slowly evolved as a much cleaner, greener, culturally active city, one that boasts of a sleek Metro and snazzy-looking flyovers.

But Chief Minister Dikshit said although Lutyen's Delhi had been able to take Partition in its stride and had made giant leaps, a lot remained to be done. As the city's population grew, the need of the hour was to develop cities around it in order to ease the pressure, she said.
"Delhi is bursting at the seams. It is, hence, very important that the National Capital Region (NCR) concept becomes a reality as soon as possible. Channels of communication between Delhi and places like Noida, Gurgaon, Faridbad and Ghaziabad, therefore, have to be strengthened. Cities around Delhi have to be made equally attractive," the CM said.
Fighting stereotypes, Delhi is learning to shed cynicism. According to a Times Now-Hansa Research poll, 60 per cent of the women surveyed said they don't need a male escort for a night-out. A whopping 70 per cent also felt that there has been an attitude change toward women.
Incidentally, the people of Delhi are also adept at being in sync with changing times. Around 17 per cent of the respondents said that they would like to change their car every year. As the capital of the country, this only goes on to prove that as a city, Delhi is definitely on the move.

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