CHENNAI: Delhi L-G VK Saxena on Saturday responded to the allegations made against him by the city government accusing him of “interfering” in the administration of healthcare and stopping payments for the ‘Farishtey Dilli Ke’ scheme. The matter was taken to the Supreme Court by the Delhi government. In a letter written to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Saxena refuted all the allegations of halting the scheme and called it a “premeditated exercise of hubris” aimed at shirking responsibilities.
The L-G said that the scheme falls under the health and finance departments which come under the control of Kejriwal and AAP ministers. He also questioned the allegations made by the health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, saying that decisions on payments and scheme operations are within the transferred subjects and should not involve his office.
“I would like to put on record the very fundamental and generic fact that the scheme under question and the operationalization thereof is under the departments of health and finance, which are fully transferred subjects as per the Constitution and totally under the control of you and your Ministers. Any attempt at attributing the failures of schemes, etc. under such departments that are ‘transferred’, to anybody else, to say the least, the L-G, is nothing but a pre-meditated exercise of hubris, aimed at shirking responsibilities and blaming others for your own failure,” his response read.
He also gave official data which contradicted the claims made by Bharadwaj of the payment stoppage to the hospitals under the scheme.“Hon’ble Minister (Health) in his note has made certain allegations, such as non-payment of pending bills, raised by some private hospitals who had treated victims of road accident under ‘Farishtey’ scheme….I am informed that the total number of beneficiaries under the RTA (Farishtey) Scheme during FY 2022-23 was 3,698 and the same stands at 3,604 in 07 months, till October 31 during FY 2023-24. The payments done to private hospitals for the same in FY 2022-23 stood at Rs 4,85,46,973 and the same till October this year stands at Rs 3,54,35,230,” he said.
‘Farishyet Dilli Ke’ was launched in 2019 for cashless payment by the city government for initial treatment of road accident victims, and was meant to encourage citizens to help victims through monetory incentives.
‘Scheme falls under finance and health departments’
The L-G said that the scheme falls under the health and finance departments which come under the control of Kejriwal and AAP ministers. He also questioned the allegations made by the health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, saying that decisions on payments and scheme operations are within the transferred subjects and should not involve his office.