Arvind Kejriwal to Chair Delhi Dialogue Commission to Deliver 70-point Agenda

The "Delhi Dialogues", a series of neighbourhood meetings/debates that empowered people to suggest what they want remedied or augmented in the capital, was one of the cornerstones of the wildly-successful election campaign by Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party or AAP. The party used these conferrals to collate an agenda of 70 points that it pledged as the blueprint for governance.

Now, a fortnight after taking office, the AAP government is to announce a new agency called the Delhi Dialogue Commission, which will be chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and focus on how to translate the 70-point manifesto into reality.

Mr Kejriwal, 46, has chosen not to have direct charge of any ministry; he has said he wants to focus on the big picture of governance. His deputy, Manish Sisodia, runs key departments like Finance.

The Vice Chairman of the Delhi Dialogue Commission will be Ashish Khetan, who played a lead role in organizing the mini-conclaves in the run-up to the election. Experts, academicians and bureaucrats teamed with the average Delhi resident for plans on how to "transform Delhi into a world-class city."

Sources said the new panel will function as a powerful advisory body to the AAP government, which has come to office with the strongest mandate ever for a party in Delhi.