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The Delhi assembly on Monday concluded discussions on the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India’s report on the heath sector between 2016 and 2022, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) again accusing the former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of indulging in “corruption” and lapses in the implementation of schemes, while the AAP claimed that it did “exceptional work to provide quality health care” during its tenure. On February 28, when the report was tabled, Speaker Vijender Gupta had asked the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which is yet to be formed to examine the CAG report, to submit its findings within three months. On Monday, he asked the Assembly Secretariat to forward the report to the health department to submit an action-taken note within one month.
Leading the discussion on the CAG report titled ‘Public Health Infrastructure and Management of Health Services’ tabled by her in the Assembly on February 28, chief minister Rekha Gupta said that “in the last 10 years of ‘Aap-da’, only corruption has happened in the name of health”. “The condition of Mohalla clinics was such that the patients were fake, the tests were fake, the medicines were also fake but only one thing was real — the payment. Everything else was fake.
Crores of rupees were paid in the name of Mohalla clinics,” Gupta allege in her nearly 25-minute speech. Speaker Gupta said the audit report also flagged several significant shortcomings and irregularities, including severe shortage of health care personnel, unavailability of essential medicines and equipment, poor ambulance services and most CATS ambulances were found to be operating without the essential life-saving equipment, a significant portion of the allocated budget remained unutilised each year, and 78% of the health infrastructure budget in 2018-19 was left unspent. The day also saw the comeback of 21 AAP legislators in the Assembly after their three-day suspension on February 25.
In response to the allegations, AAP MLA Gopal Rai said the CAG report confirms that under the AAP government, Delhi’s health care model has been best in country. “The AAP government did exceptional work to provide quality healthcare to Delhiites, introducing Mohalla Clinics for first time in India..
.Everyone knows how data entry operators were removed in Delhi. This House is also aware that the Supreme Court heard the case for two years, ruling that Delhi’s elected government should have the right to make appointments except in areas like law, public order, and policing.
However, despite the Supreme Court’s constitutional ruling, the BJP-led central government treated Delhi unfairly and overturned the court’s decision,” Rai said during the discussion. Leader of Opposition Atishi said the BJP does not want to discuss the CAG reports which flag irregularities in states where it is in power, as she presented findings of these reports. The Speaker expunged the facts presented by Atishi in the House from the proceedings.
Gupta hit out at Atishi, saying that the AAP leaders were trying to divert attention from the alleged corruption. “Only two CAG reports (one on excise and the other on health care) have been tabled in the House and they (AAP leaders) are stunned. They are neck deep in corruption and bring various issues to divert the attention.
Twelve more CAG reports more will be tabled,” Gupta said. Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa too slammed the AAP, alleging that former CM Arvind Kejriwal “did not visit a single Covid hospital during the pandemic as he was busy building his office and house.” The AAP MLAs staged a walkout in protest during the discussions, as they alleged that their microphones were switched off when they tried to raise the issue of non-payment of monthly financial aid to women beneficiaries.
BJP legislators raise civic issues Soon after the proceedings of the Assembly began on Monday, Kasturba Nagar MLA Neeraj Basoya flagged a “serious” problem of mushrooming illegal spa centres and guest houses in his constituency. “There are over 200 illegal SPA centres and 50 guest houses operating in my area, making it difficult for women and daughters to step outside. I request the Speaker and the CM to direct the municipal corporation and the police to immediately shut these establishments down,” Basoya said.
Ghonda MLA Ajay Mahawar flagged the issues of guest teachers in Delhi government schools and demanded that the government constitute a committee to look into the issues. “The guest teachers play an important role in teaching but are deprived of the benefits of the paid holidays, health benefits which take a toll on their quality of life. The government should constitute a committee to look into their issues and find a solution,” he demanded.
Later, a scheduled short duration discussion under Rule 55, a legislative device using which MLAs draw the attention of the government to matters of urgent public importance, began after the discussion on the CAG report concluded. It was, however, curtailed after Sirsa informed the House about the demise of the mother of BJP MLA Arvinder Singh Lovely. The House observed a two-minute silence.
Uproar over AAP MLA’s post, two marshalled out When the House resumed after lunch break, an uproar occurred over AAP MLA Jarnail Singh posting a picture of the Assembly on social media platform X, saying that no cabinet minister was present in the House. BJP legislators said Singh violated rules and demanded that the post be deleted. BJP MLA Ajay Mahawar demanded that Singh’s phone should be seized.
After Singh expressed regret over it, the Speaker asked the AAP MLA to delete the post. A separate uproar occurred over the remarks of AAP’s Anil Jha, who said that a “Ramleela” was happening in the House. BJP MLA Karnail Singh objected to the remark, saying that it hurt the statement of Hindus.
Speaker Vijender Gupta ordered marshals to take Jha out of the House. Later, AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar was also marshaled out over his remarks ON WHAT? which were removed from the proceedings of the House. Meanwhile, the Speaker again addressed the issue of the February 25 suspension of 21 of the 22 AAP MLAs and denial of entry to them in the Assembly complex, saying that suspension from the Assembly means such legislators are required to leave the premises of the Assembly.
Earlier, the Speaker had stated that according to the rule book, Assembly premises mean the entire Assembly complex. Atishi, however, opposed the ruling, saying that according to the rule book, Assembly premises do not include LoP office and lawns..
