Petitions Committee recommends action against Delhi L-G, Chief Secretary

The Petitions Committee of the Delhi Assembly has recommended actions against Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena, Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and some other officials on matters pertaining to pertaining to AAP government's old-age pension, Mohalla Clinic and removal of data entry operators of government hospitals.

On the issue of old age pensions, the committee's report accused Director of Social Welfare Department Pooja Joshi of deliberately causing delays in the disbursement of old-age pensions to senior citizens. Also the report claimed that District Social Welfare Officer of Lajpat Nagar Vikas Pandey's conduct was misleading. 

It has been further alleged in the report that many officers were threatened by the Chief Secretary at the behest of the L-G. The committee has requested the President and the Ministry of Home Affairs to take cognizance of this report and take appropriate action against the Chief Secretary and the L-G. 

The report was also presented in the special session of the Delhi Assembly. 

According to the report, the committee learned that senior citizens were not receiving pensions for many months, and officials were speaking to them in a very rude manner. "Subhashish Dutta, a resident of Chittaranjan Park, filed a petition on the issue, alleging non-receipt of regular old age pensions. In many cases, old age pensions were discontinued for eligible beneficiaries... due to misinformation by the department, old age pensions for many beneficiaries were discontinued by the Social Welfare Department, GNCTD, without providing valid reasons or any verification... many beneficiaries of old age pensions were not receiving regular pensions, which have been pending for the past several months," reads the report. 

On matter pertaining to the Mohalla Clinic, a petition was moved by one Dharmender Kumar, a resident of Begampur, highlighting the unavailability of medicines and failure to pay the renumeration to the workers and doctors at the clinic.

Similarly, the petition regarding the removal of data entry operators was moved by one Rahul, a resident of Trilokpuri. 

Kumar in his petition alleged that the Mohalla Clinics in Delhi are suffering from the serious issue such as unavailability of medicines and diagnostic tests, in addition this "renumerations of health workers are not being paid for months". "Conditions at clinics had also deteriorated, it didn't have drinking water, and the cost for cleaning the same was also being borne by the staff in addition to bearing the bills for the WiFi connection," he alleged. 

The committee deliberated the matter of Mohalla Clinics with the officials of Delhi's Finance and Health Departments. 

"The committee recommends that the Chief Secretary take strict action against the Secretary (Health Department) and Principal Secretary (Finance Department) for willfully causing delay in processing of files and release of funds for the AAMC services and renumeration to the Doctors therein. The committee humbly requests the President of India and Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India to take appropriate action against the Chief Secretary and the L-G," reads the report of the Committee on Mohalla Clinic issue. 

The committee has recommended the action against L-G, Chief Secretary and others in data entry operator issue as well.