As chikungunya has claimed five lives in the national Capital in the last 24 hours, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday blamed Modi-led Government for failure to contain vector-borne diseases. Kejriwal said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung should be “questioned” over the issue as powers rested with them.
After the media criticism, Kejriwal took on to Twitter to clarify over Health Minister Satyender Jain’s absence by pointing out that the lt-Governor is not in the Capital either. He said that the Delhi Government was “incapable of even buying a pen” as he and his Cabinet colleagues stand “fully stripped of powers.” “CM n min left wid no power now, even to buy a pen. l-G n PM
enjoy all powers wrt Del. lG abroad. Question them for Del,” Kejriwal tweets.
Barring Water Minister Kapil Mishra, the Delhi Cabinet was out of the city, including the Chief Minister who has gone to Bengaluru for throat surgery. Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is in Finland to study their education system while Satyendar Jain was in Goa and returned to the city on Tuesday evening. Ministers Gopal Rai and Imran Hussain are out of station. Jain was in Goa to campaign in the slums of Panaji and Betim where the Aam Aadmi Party is looking to make inroads in the upcoming Assembly polls.
Delhi labour Minister Gopal Rai is in Chhattisgarh to consolidate base of AAP in the State. Environment Minister Imran Hussain has gone to Haj. lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung is in USA and expected to be returned by September 14. North Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Sanjiv Nayyar is in Hague at Mayor’s conference. South Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Shayam Sharma went to Khatu Shyamji in Rajashthan. Newly appointed Heath Secretary Chandarkar Bharti is on a 10-day leave till September 16.
Sisodia also took swipe at the lieutenant-Governor and alleged that he has handpicked irresponsible officers to oversee the health department. Sisodia said officials of the Delhi Government were busy following the “lieutenant-Governor’s instructions” of going through the files of the past 18 months and sending these to him. “Officers do not come to meetings called by Ministers. They remain away from their offices throughout the day. If the country has reporters who are not in the ‘Modi school of journalism’, they should decide who the Government is lieutenant-Governor or Chief Minister. If they believe the lieutenant-Governor has all the powers in Delhi then he should be held responsible in these cases. Where did the lieutenant-Governor disappear after putting useless and lazy officers at the helm of the Health department in the city,” said the Deputy CM in a series of tweets.
Delhi’s Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who was in Goa and returned Delhi on Tuesday afternoon, said the situation in Delhi Government hospitals is “much better” than in the hospitals run by the Centre and civic bodies. “We’re not denying anyone a bed and have made all facilities available to deal with such cases. We have opened 262 fever clinics in Delhi. Please avoid self-medication and do not panic,” Jain said in a Press conference. He said that Delhi Government officers were not being allowed to work and were being transferred.
“In such a situation why is the Delhi Government being blamedIJ Ask the l-G who himself went to the US. Two municipal corporation Mayors are out of Delhi, ask them whyIJ Their only work is to ensure cleanliness,” Jain asserted.
“There is a lot of influx of people in Delhi, who come from various states. So one can’t say the problem is in Delhi, it could be spread from any source. We have done our best to provide more beds in hospitals and make the infrastructure better in hospitals across Delhi. But it is mainly the duty of municipal corporations to control the spread of such diseases and clearly they are not doing anything. But nobody questions that. What are the municipal people doingIJ Delhi Government has done the best in their abilities,” Jain said.