20 instances when Delhi govt proposals were rejected, delayed or approved with delay by LG office

After completing master's degree in Science and Public Policy from Stanford University, Roshan Shankar joined Aam Aadmi Party as a full-time volunteer. Since 2014, Roshan is helping AAP by doing research and developing policies. He was also one of the mind behind AAP's 2015 Delhi manifesto. Apart from volunteering, Roshan also express the ground realities from Delhi through his blogs available on https://indianpoliticsandpolicy.wordpress.com/.

Some of the Delhi Govt reforms (e.g. govt schools, mohalla clinics etc.) are well recognized and discussed in different parts of the World. Many reforms which might have included in the list of recognition couldn't manage to escape from the files. They were either rejected or delayed. In-fact, recent strike of Arvind Kejriwal and other Delhi cabinet ministers is also about the execution of door-step delivery policy. The policy which was initially rejected then approved after public pressure is now delayed because of the strike of IAS officers. Following tweets from Roshan Shankar list the instances and policies which were either delayed, rejected or approved after unnecessary delay by the Delhi Administrator (LG) office. In order to avoid unnecessary delays caused by administrative boundary, AAP is also demanding full statehood status for Delhi.

1. Delhi Government instituted Higher Education Guarantee Scheme, fulfilling its promise to secure a child's education with a government-guaranteed loan of Rs. 10 lakh, to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds. It was stalled for 402 days by LG.

2. Delhi Government requested the LG for 1 DANICS officer per education district to help with the DoE's renewed focus of monitoring and regulation of private schools. Silence for 6 months!

3. Delhi Govt. approached Akshay Patra Foundation (APF) which works in 7 Indian states on high quality mid-day meals. State govt allot a piece of land to APF on a licence-to-use basis, whilst they set up a centralized kitchen. Sadly, the exact same model is not allowed by LG for Delhi.

4. The LG Delhi sabotaged the 1000 Mohalla Clinics project that seeks to bolster universal health coverage leading to 101 day avoidable delay and weeks of bureaucratic bungling. Bureaucratic delays and procedural red tapism precedes public health as a priority for the selected.

5. 500 Mohalla Clinics were to be set up in schools. Designs and SOPs were submitted by Health Minister @SatyendarJain's dynamic team. The file was delayed for 146 days and approved exactly as submitted!

6. Swaraj is the core of AAP's governance and its efficiency. Decentralization and devolution by involving citizens in public healthcare was envisioned 70 Rogi Kalyan Samitis and 1345 Swasthya Samitis much like the SMCs. Stalled for 2 years with files playing ping pong!

7. Delhi Health Corporation envisioned by Health Minister @SatyendarJain and passed by the Cabinet is blanket rejected by @LtGovDelhi without discussion. Despite having precedent in Rajasthan and Kerala, LG has denied a critical healthcare reform to streamline governance.

8. Health Minister @SatyendarJain has submitted a case of corruption involving outsourcing at GTB and LNJP hospitals to the CBI to the CM who recommended the same to the LG. No action taken by LG thus shielding investigation on collusive officials.

9. Based on data from the first 101 Mohalla clinics and 24 polyclinics, the Delhi government envisioned providing free testing services to Delhiites via outsourcing. This was delayed by LG but passed after public pressure without a single edit.

10. The Mohalla Clinics project file was passed and bureaucratic bungling and delays were only cleared when 40 Members of Legislative Assembly protested at Rajniwas. Even in governance, there is a great need for activism against the selected who oppressed the voice of the people.

11. The Health Minister @SatyendarJain improved the reach and augmented the eligibility for Delhi citizens to avail the Arogya Kosh benefit for specified high end surgeries in private hospitals, thus lowering the cost of tertiary healthcare! 2 month delay and passed without edit.

12. CM @ArvindKejriwal and HM @SatyendarJain have pioneered grievance audits, spot checks and surprise visits to public healthcare facilities across Delhi. They've followed up every visit with recommended actions. @LtGovDelhi has stalled several recommendations.

13. The LG refused CM's proposal of creating 2169 posts in medical staff and specialists. The situation of shortage of pharmacists and staff for operating high end equipment continues. Delhi has wait in long queues for medicines and diagnostic test on the LG's whim.

14. Delhi Government proposed to install 600 LED panels across the city for Central, State and Municipal Government to utilize for displaying information, advisories in a cost effective and eco-friendly manner. File transfers from table to table by LG has delayed it by 1.5 years!

15. 11 district level sub-committees proposed by Home Minister @SatyendarJain on withdrawal of petty offences as per GoI's litigation policy to smoothen bottlenecks due to single apex committee. Proposal rejected without reason, pendency of cases increased!

16. Home Minister @SatyendarJain proposed to make 183 Thana Level Committees and 11 District Committees to strengthen civilian and legislative oversight of the Police and encourage community engagement. Blanket veto without reason for 2 years by the LG.

17. AAP formulated an ex-gratia policy that any armed personnel, if he/she dies on duty in operations, calamities and disaster relief, and is a resident of Delhi, should be awarded Rs 1 crore posthumously. The BJP and LG have vetoed this.

18A. The Delhi Government moved on issues within the Delhi Wakf Board, to bring justice to 991 illegally occupied properties and ensure the immediate disbursal of salaries and pensions. Good policy can be humane, smart and devoid of partisanship.

18B. The @LtGovDelhi has stayed the re-constitution of the Wakf Board in a completely illegal manner despite elections having taken place for all members and despite there being no stay in the High Court. The file is still not approved despite the opinion of the Law Department.

19. LG has stalled MMTYY that will provide financial assistance to senior citizens have come to ask the Chief Minister for financial assistance for pilgrimages. He framed this policy which the @LtGovDelhi put on hold.

20. Simple and clear decisions like the 1-crore ex-gratia award to the family of Late Subhedar Ram Kishen Grewal who died during OROP protests for the cause of ex-servicemen. That is martyrdom. LG vetoes Delhi Cabinet's decision which represents Delhiites without blinking an eye.

Read original Tweet thread from Roshan Shankar

The institution of @LtGovDelhi is compromised politically. Cruel and anti-democratic steps regressing Delhi's growth are the norm. Here are 100 reasons why @ArvindKejriwal, @msisodia, @AapKaGopalRai and @SatyendarJain are fasting and fighting for Delhi.

Read, RT and Share. /1

— Roshan Shankar (@roshankar) June 13, 2018

 

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