AAP Cabinet to allocate funds for mohalla clinics today

The AAP government is likely to pass the budget for opening around 1,000 mohalla clinics across the city in its Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday while inaugurating the Capital’s first ‘Aam Aadmi polyclinic’ in East Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar.

Kejriwal said that the government is going to revive around 150 dispensaries, presently housed in “dilapidated buildings”, over the next few months where specialist care would be provided to reduce dependence on hospitals.

“Tomorrow we have our Cabinet meeting. In that meeting, we will most probably pass the budget to open 1,000 mohalla clinics. If the budget is passed then work will immediately start on building the clinics across Delhi and I hope that the work shall be completed in six-eight months,” Kejriwal said. Before the inauguration of the clinic, which was earlier a facility exclusively for women and maternity care, East MCD workers were seen expeditiously cleaning up the area, reeking of rotten waste.

Locals complained that most of the time garbage lies littered on streets and bylanes of the locality. 

“The MCD workers are busy sprinkling bleaching powder but they are absent most of the time,” Hazarilal, a resident, said. Kejriwal also promised to relocate the garbage dump, located right opposite the polyclinic, after local MLA Anil Bajpai made a request to this effect on stage. “You look for suitable land and the relocation shall be done.” 

Although, Mukesh Kumar, an MCD official, claimed that around 12 trucks are deployed everyday for the purpose of carrying the waste to dumpyards.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain, who was also present on the occasion, promised to provide all diagnostic and treatment specialities in varied areas such as child care, dental, gynecology that are available in hospitals.