NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Atishi warned two officers on Wednesday of strict administrative action for releasing public notices disowning the registration process begun by her predecessor, Arvind Kejriwal, for two welfare schemes.
The officers in question are a joint director of the Woman and Child Development Department and the special secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department.
The public notices by the officers published in newspapers on Wednesday called “fraudulent” the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana, aiming to give Rs 2,100 to non-tax paying women, and Sanjeevani Yojana, for providing ree treatment to those above 60 in government and private hospitals.
Atishi said, “The notices issued today in newspapers are completely false. The BJP has put pressure on them and issued a false public notice because they were shocked by the public’s response. Strict administrative action will be taken against these officers.”
The row began when the two departments issued public notices in Hindi and English newspapers. This situation once again highlighted the relationship between the bureaucracy and the elected government. After an amendment to the GNCTD Act, the services department comes under the control of L-G V K Saxena.
Kejriwal, also present at the press meet, stated the positive response to AAP’s schemes had unnerved BJP. Alleging he had got info of a meeting between ED, CBI, and I-T officials, he said, “Orders were given from higher-ups to fabricate a false case and arrest Atishi.”
Kejriwal said: “I am making a very serious allegation with full responsibility: these agencies have been directed from above to frame Atishi in some fabricated case and arrest her. They have also been instructed to conduct raids on all senior leaders of AAP in the coming days.”