Deadline throws officials into a tizzy; earlier 230 sites were inspected in one-and-a-half months
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has given a Herculean task of inspecting as many as 400 sites for the construction of new mohalla clinics in the Capital and submit a report by the end of this week. The decision was taken in a review meeting on Monday in which Kejriwal directed various agencies to get down to the ground and complete the process that has been pending for long.
The government has proposed to set up 660 new mohalla clinics in the first phase. Of these, the health department in coordination with the Public Works Department (PWD) and other land-owning agencies have so far inspected 230 sites in the past one-and-half months. Sources in the department have now expressed concern over the completion of the task in such a short period of time.
"A total of 430 sites have to be inspected in this week. It is extremely difficult to complete the entire inspection process in just one week. Various departments are involved in the procedure and to coordinate with each one of them takes time. The task seems difficult to be completed within the suggested period of time," said a senior government official.
Last week, Kejriwal had taken a series of steps to complete the long-pending projects. The decisions were announced after the Supreme Court in its verdict on July 3 clipped the power of Lieutenant Governor restricting his jurisdiction to land, police and public order.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in its budget 2018-2019 has proposed setting up of 1,000 such clinics in the capital. The government in its outcome report had alleged that the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal delayed the establishment of 1,000 mohalla clinics by nine months.
As per the timeline projected by the government this year, the joint survey by the PWD and the chief medical officers should have been completed by April 30. "It is unfair to put pressure on the authorities like these," said another official.
Kejriwal had on March 11 alleged that the Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash had refused to accept important files regarding the setting up of mohalla clinics and polyclinics in the national Capital. The first file was related to the setting-up of mohalla clinics and contained comments of the chief minister on why the department of health, despite having received No Objection Certificates from various departments, has only been able to provide an estimated timeline for the construction of new mohalla clinics.
HEALTH SERVICES
- About 80 lakh people have availed of health services at these clinics
- The target is to construct 1,000 mohalla clinics
- 24 polyclinics are in operation and 94 more dispensaries have been identified for starting polyclinics
- An outlay of Rs 403 crore is proposed for the mohalla clinics and polyclinics in 2018-2019
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