In its first 100 days in power, the BJP-led Delhi government has moved swiftly on key development initiatives, aided by close coordination with central ministries and Lt-Governor V K Saxena.Major decisions include the Cabinet nod regarding the formation of a Group of Ministers for the rollout of the Mahila Samriddhi Yojana, a Bill to regulate private school fee hikes, and the implementation of the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme.Officials attribute the pace of work to the BJP’s control, both electorally and bureaucratically, at four levels — Centre, State, and both municipal corporations — which has enabled what the party refers to as a “four-engine” model of governance.At the heart of this approach is, what sources in the bureaucracy term, a core group of handpicked bureaucrats posted across city and central departments, tasked with delivering “visible and tangible change” on tight deadlines when it comes to developmental projects across the country.Domain experts and aides posted in the Prime Minister’s Office since the formation of the BJP government in 2014 aside, this network has been built gradually. It also received a nudge in the last three months through at least three recent reshuffles, involving over 50 IAS, IPS and DANICS officials in Delhi.Among the key appointments is that of 2006-batch IAS officer Kaushal Raj Sharma. “Earlier this month, the PM-led Appointments Committee of the Cabinet handpicked Sharma, a Uttar Pradesh cadre IAS officer, who has served in the PM’s Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi, as the new CEO of the Delhi Jal Board,” a source said.Also Read | ‘Govt delivered little more than disappointment in Delhi’: AAP’s Atishi; BJP calls it baselessIn February, three senior IAS officers with significant tenures at the Centre were given key postings in the new Delhi Chief Minister’s Office.Story continues below this adAs per an order issued by the Services department of the Delhi government, Dr Madhu Rani Teotia, a 2008-batch AGMUT cadre officer, was posted as Secretary to Chief Minister Rekha Gupta while Sandeep Kumar Singh and Ravi Jha, both of whom belong to the 2011 batch of the Central cadre, were appointed special secretaries.Before this, 2005-batch UP cadre officer Surendra Singh had been brought to the L-G’s Secretariat on inter-cadre deputation in 2022.Under PM’s watchAccording to bureaucratic sources, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is personally involved in Delhi’s development agenda to transform it into a “world-class capital”.A party insider pointed out that Delhi, located between important BJP-ruled states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, with which it shares contiguous borders, has emerged as the core of the BJP’s development politics agenda, especially in terms of urban infrastructure.Story continues below this ad“Delhi’s administration is now atop a list of BJP-ruled states where development-related projects are helmed by a team of bureaucrats and advisors with separate areas — ranging from waterbody rejuvenation to urban infrastructure development among others — under their charge, at the PM’s office,” a source said.The Yamuna river rejuvenation, in addition to water supply and sewage management in the city, is a prime example of the PM’s involvement. The source added, “Bear in mind a meeting chaired on the rejuvenation of the Yamuna by PM Modi himself and then by Union Home Minister Amit Shah…”The PM, officials said, has set a timeline for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna — a year-and-a-half. Entities related to a similar project on the Narmada river in Gujarat are said to have made multiple presentations to “the highest levels of the central government” since February. The PM’s direct involvement when it comes to developmental projects in Delhi is not new but, given the formation of the BJP’s government in Delhi on the cusp of almost three decades and his electoral pitch of transforming the city during the elections, more crucial as a deliverable.Also Read | Govt misled nation, must hold special House session to face questions: CongressAccording to a senior government official, previous instances of development-related projects in the Capital under direct scrutiny by Modi in the recent past include the Central Vista Project, Bharat Mandapam and construction of the new Parliament.Central cooperationAccording to an official, while there was no denying the Centre’s “amenability for cooperation”, this was not only “natural” but also systemic.Story continues below this adOver the past three months, union ministers have shown open support for Delhi’s new administration.Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has approved projects related to decongesting highways passing through the city, while Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has committed that the country’s top educational institutions will work with the Delhi government to find solutions for its challenges.Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal has chaired a meeting with Gupta and officials from 13 Delhi government departments to discuss solutions for water, road, traffic and infrastructure projects.Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri has hosted the Delhi CM along with industry experts to chalk out a way forward for various development-related projects.Story continues below this adThis is a far cry from when AAP was in power, which saw frequent and public displays of animosity between the elected government and the L-G’s Secretariat over the conduct of bureaucrats.The battle over who has control over the Services department — and an SC order in favour of the elected government but which was nullified by the Centre via the GNCTD Amendment Act — was a trigger for several run-ins. From not releasing funds for developmental projects to sabotaging key schemes, the AAP Delhi government had levelled a slew of charges against bureaucrats, accusing them of toeing the Centre’s line.Also Read | Trump says US ‘very close’ to trade deal with India, warns he ‘won’t have interest in a deal if…’A senior government officer, however, said, “It will be unfair to compare 11 years of the previous (AAP) government’s rule with the 100 days of a new (BJP) government, but what has been on display in the city since its formation is cooperative federalism as far as Centre-State relations are concerned, coordination between Raj Niwas and the CM’s office, and the restoration of trust between the Delhi government and its tools, the bureaucracy.”“Central ministries are stepping forward with suggestions about projects, yes — but it is not like they did not do so during the tenure of the previous government. Look at the Delhi Metro and the NAMO RRTS projects — partnerships between the Centre and Delhi — being starved of funds over the last decade and ending up in courts,” the officer added.Story continues below this adThe Delhi government, according to another officer, “very much has a say” in policy decisions when it comes to the city, despite a more proactive approach being exhibited by the Centre through its ministries.“This period is a far cry from the previous government’s tenure, which started with a bit of aggression, a deep distrust of the existing order, antagonism towards the bureaucracy and a skewed idea of a war against corruption — where everyone was corrupt except themselves,” the officer added.What had also come to the fore in the last 100 days was a change in the “institution of the CM” per se, said another official.“Unlike the tenures of the previous two CMs (AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi), the institution of the CM itself has undergone a positive transformation. She (Gupta) is visibly in command, signing off on decisions related to most government departments which have been assigned to her and is in consultation and not confrontation with either the L-G or the Centre,” this official said.Story continues below this ad“Whether it is a transferred subject or not, they (the Delhi government) have consulted the L-G on various matters related to the city’s administration without any skirmish or rough creases even in rare instances of disagreements. In terms of development and a cooperative approach, many in bureaucratic circles refer to (former Congress CM) Sheila Dikshit’s art of statesmanship in Delhi as far as the new CM’s approach is concerned,” the official added.