NEW DELHI: Arvind Kejriwal did not spend anything from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund on controlling COVID-19 in the national capital, the BJP on Tuesday alleged citing an RTI reply.
The party also alleged that the Delhi government mismanaged internal logistics leading to disturbed supply of oxygen.
According the RTI application filed by Vivek Pandey, the Delhi Chief Minister's Relief Fund received more than Rs 34.77 crore from March 2020 to January 2021, while in the same period the expenses were Rs 17.27 crore.
Details of the expenses were not mentioned in the reply.
In response to a query on how much money was spent to control COVID-19 pandemic, the RTI reply states 'Nil'.
Citing the reply, the BJP's national media incharge Anil Baluni attacked the Delhi's chief minister, saying his government did nothing for the people of the national capital who were bearing the cost of AAP government's lacklustre approach.
"This RTI exposes Kejriwal and his insensitivity towards the people of the national capital. He only made false claims and didn't spend a single penny from the chief minister's relief fund to develop health infrastructure in the wake of the pandemic," Baluni alleged.
He further said that the Narendra Modi government was working day and night, doing everything possible under the sun for the betterment of the people in Delhi and across the country.
"The opposition is looking at the pandemic as a political opportunity for itself but the BJP government at the Centre is working day and night with full energy for the welfare of the people and to eliminate COVID-19," Baluni tweeted.
Similarly citing a letter written by one of the oxygen suppliers, Inox Air Products, to the Delhi government, Baluni alleged that it is not guiding suppliers on who has to deliver oxygen to which hospitals as per allocation.
"The biggest reason for oxygen shortage in Delhi is the mismanagement of its internal logistics by the AAP government which the supplier has highlighted. The allocations are given by the Delhi government to 12 suppliers but they are not told which hospital to deliver. Hence problem today is not of receipt of deliveries from outside, but of internal logistics of Delhi government," he said.
With a spike in COVID-19 cases in the last few weeks, the national capital is facing a severe shortage of beds, oxygen cylinders and medicines putting additional burden on the already stretched health infrastructure in the city.
Central government sources had said that eight pressure swing adsorption (PSA) oxygen generation plants were being installed in Delhi from the PM Cares fund and they would enhance the capacity of medical oxygen by 14.4 metric tonnes.
One plant in Burari Hospital, Kaushik Enclave, was installed on March 17, while four others, one each at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Lok Nayak Hospital, Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Rohini and Deepa Chand Bandhu Hospital, Ashok Vihar, were expected to be complete by April 30, they said.