The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and BJP sparred over the ‘Farishtey Scheme’ on Sunday. The AAP accused the BJP-led Delhi Government of discontinuing the ‘Farishtey Dilli Ke’ scheme, which provided free medical treatment to road accident victims in private hospitals.
In response, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva stated that under the guise of public welfare, all the schemes implemented by Arvind Kejriwal turned out to be avenues for scams. He added that the ‘Farishtey Scheme’ is not only one such example but also exposes Kejriwal Government’s claims of having a world-class health model.
Addressing a press conference, Delhi AAP chief and former Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the initiative, launched by the previous Aam Aadmi Party Government, had saved thousands of lives but was now being halted. He claimed that by 2021, nearly 10,000 people benefitted from the scheme, meaning thousands of lives were saved.
“How can someone stop such a good scheme that saves lives? The BJP Government has removed it from the budget,” Bharadwaj said. “In 2023, officials under LG attempted to stop funds for ‘Farishtey Scheme’ and shut it down. Only someone with monstrous mindset could shut down such life-saving scheme,” he said.
Introduced in 2017 under then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the scheme covered the entire treatment cost of accident victims in private hospitals, encouraging bystanders to assist them without fear of financial burden. According to the AAP, more than 10,000 lives were saved under the initiative. Countering AAP leader’s claim, Sachdeva said that since 2015, the Kejriwal Government has been claiming world-class healthcare services and efficient hospitals. In this context, the people of Delhi are asking why, if all services were available in Government hospitals, the Government had to introduce the ‘Farishtey Scheme’ in 2017 to provide immediate free treatment to road accident victims?
He said that it is clear that either the government hospitals were non-functional, or the Government’s intention was to send accident victims to private hospitals, where hefty bills could be generated under the pretext of providing services, thus enabling commission-based corruption. The Delhi BJP Chief mentioned that in mid-2017, the Kejriwal Government introduced the ‘Farishtey Scheme’, but by mid-2023, this scheme had almost come to a halt. In other words, this scheme lasted for about 2,000 days in six years, and according to Saurabh Bhardwaj, only 22,000 people benefited from it. This means that during this period, there were about 11 serious accidents every day in Delhi, and all the victims had to be taken to private hospitals. This clearly indicates that either the government hospitals were non-functional or that there was collaboration between private hospitals and Aam Aadmi Party workers for manipulation, resulting in the siphoning of Government funds. He assured that the BJP Government and Delhi police would provide the best medical facilities to road accident victims through Government hospitals. Bharadwaj claimed that even during his tenure as health minister, officials appointed by the Lieutenant Governor attempted to halt the scheme.
The AAP had to approach the Supreme Court, after which funds were released to continue the initiative, he said.
“The BJP failed to stop this scheme through the LG, but now, after coming to power, they have shut it down completely,” he alleged.
Explaining how the scheme encouraged public participation in saving lives, he said, “Under the ‘Farishtey Scheme’, the Arvind Kejriwal Government had announced that anyone who took an accident victim to a private hospital would not have to bear any expenses, as the Delhi Government would cover the full cost of treatment. Moreover, they would be rewarded with an honorarium and a certificate. This initiative encouraged people to help each other, and between 2017 and 2022, nearly 10,000 lives were saved.”
He slammed the BJP Government’s decision, calling it unimaginable that any Government would shut down a scheme designed to save lives. He asserted BJP has once again turned its back on Delhiites.
The former Delhi Minister explained that the ‘Farishtey Scheme’ was introduced to address such failures in emergency healthcare. The Delhi Government, in its 2025-26 budget presented by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, allocated `12,893 crore for the health sector, prioritising Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the establishment of two new medical colleges and the addition of 16,186 hospital beds.
