NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday rejected as "baseless" the allegation that it is putting pressure on the Delhi government not to increase COVID-19 tests to 40,000 in the national capital. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) denied Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain's charge that it is blocking raising COVID-19 testing from around 20,000 per day to 40,000 per day.
Calling it a "false" charge, an MHA spokesperson said the marked improvement in the COVID situation in Delhi has been possible due to enhanced testing and other containment measures which were brought in after Union Home Minister Amit Shah intervened.
The spokesperson said that the ministry has only proposed that the expert committee led by Planning Commission member Dr VK Paul be consulted so that increased testing can be implemented smoothly. "Allegation raised in the letter of the Health Minister of Delhi Govt dated August 27, which is addressed to Union Home Secretary, to the effect that MHA is putting pressure on Delhi Govt officers not to increase testing in Delhi is false and baseless," the spokesperson tweeted.
"As such, any allegation that MHA is putting pressure on Delhi government not to increase testing in Delhi is absolutely without any basis,” the spokesperson said. The Home Ministry said that Jain's letter annexed a note of the officers of the Delhi government and this note made no mention of any instruction of MHA on the matter of increasing testing in Delhi.
The note has only proposed that the views of an expert committee headed by VK Paul may be taken on the proposed enhancement in testing in Delhi, the spokesperson said. After MHA's response, Jain tweeted, "I hope that officers will comply with this msg from MHA. I am sure officers, who were reluctant to increase testing today citing pressure from MHA, will immediately increase testing. Our CM has acted in cooperation wid central govt to tackle COVID. We should continue to act in the same spirit of cooperation for the well being of Delhiites (sic)."