Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta reacted sternly over the corruption in the construction of hospitals exposed in a note sent by three senior officers of Delhi Government to the Health Minister of Delhi regarding the lack of health services and has demanded resignation of the Health Minister. He said that the note sent by the officers of Delhi Government to the Minister has exposed the claims of the Delhi Government which is boasting about the health services of Delhi all over the world. Corruption worth crores of rupees has taken place.
According to Gupta, the construction of 24 hospitals, including major facilities like LNJP Hospital and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital, has seen cost escalate by up to 100 per cent. Many of these projects are severely behind schedule. For instance, the new block at LNJP Hospital is only 60 per cent complete after nearly 4 years, despite an initial 30-month timeline.
The misuse of funds extends to the polyclinic project as well. Out of 94 planned polyclinics, only 52 have been constructed, despite expenditures exceeding the sanctioned budget.
He mentioned that the Delhi government had planned the construction/renovation of 94 polyclinics, for which a sum of Rs 168.58 crore was sanctioned and given to PWD. However, PWD spent Rs 220 crore on constructing only 52 polyclinics.
Similarly, there has been massive corruption in the construction works carried out in 24 hospitals of the Delhi government, including LNJP Hospital, Satyawadi Harishchandra Hospital, Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, Guru Gobind Singh Hospital, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital, Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Acharya Shri Bhikshu Hospital, Rao Tula Ram Hospital, Dada Dev Hospital, Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital, Deepchand Bandhu Hospital, etc. Gupta mentioned that the cost of these 24 under-construction hospitals has increased by 100 per cnt , and the construction work has come to a standstill.
Gupta highlighted a specific case study of the LNJP Hospital new block project, which was initially contracted at Rs 465.52 crore but has now seen costs spiral to Rs 1125 crore. “This scandal exposes the hollow claims of the Delhi government about world-class healthcare,” Gupta stated. “The note from senior officials to the Health Minister reveals corruption worth hundreds of crores of rupees.”
In response to these findings, the Delhi BJP leadership plans to meet with the anti-corruption branch (ACB) chief to file an official complaint. They are demanding a thorough investigation into all aspects of this multi-crore scam and calling for the immediate resignation of Delhi’s Health Minister. Gupta added, “The people of Delhi deserve answers and accountability.
We will pursue this matter to ensure that those responsible for this gross mismanagement and potential corruption are brought to justice.”
