All available medicines and diagnostic tests will soon be available free of cost at various Government hospitals, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said. The Delhi Government has also decided to waive user charges at all Government hospitals from February 1 using the money “saved” from three flyover projects. The Government runs around 38 hospitals across the metropolis.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made the announcement at the inauguration of an elevated corridor between Mangolpuri to Madhuban Chowk at Outer Ring Road, which he said was built at the cost of Rs300 crore, “well below the sanctioned cost of Rs450 crore”. He also thanked former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit for commissioning the project.
The sanctioned budget for Mangolpuri to Madhuban Chowk elevated road was Rs423.05 crore while the actual cost came to be Rs300 crore. The elevated corridor, with a length of 2.6 kms and having three-lane carriageway on both sides, has been completed in a span of 30 months. Below the corridor, there is 3.5 meter wide bus lane on both sides apart from cycle track and footpath.
The elevated corridor will cover various junctions including Som Vihar Chowk, Pitampura Police line Chowk and Deepali Chowk.
Kejriwal said that the decision to provide the services free of cost has been made possible by efficiency of the city’s Public Works Department (PWD), headed by Home Minister Satyender Jain, which he claimed “has saved Rs350 crore” in construction of the three flyovers.
Now the money saved in building the elevated corridors will be used for this purpose which is your right,” Kejriwal said.