Delhi High Court expresses 'shock' over AAP govt not accepting Centre's aid

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday expressed shock over the Delhi government reportedly not accepting financial aid through a Centre-funded health scheme.

A bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said it was "strange" that the Delhi government was not accepting Centre's aid when there was "no money" with it for its healthcare system.

"You may have difference of opinion but in this case you are refusing aid.. None of your machines are working. The machines have to work but you have no money actually," it said.

CJ Manmohan went ahead to remark, "Today you are refusing Rs 5 lakh for the citizens. I am shocked." Seven BJP MPs have moved the High Court to direct the AAP government to implement the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY).

The lawmakers, in their PIL, said Delhi was the only union territory where the beneficial healthcare scheme for the underprivileged was yet to be implemented, therefore, depriving them of the essential health coverage of Rs 5 lakh.

"I have been saying openly in court that you are virtually bankrupt..your health minister and health secretary are not talking to each other. In that sort of a mess you are not not accepting central aid," CJ Manmohan remarked further.

The hearing has been posted on November 28 to enable the Delhi government standing counsel to go through the plea which he said seemed to be "misconceived".

The court said the central scheme was just an aid being given to a particular segment of citizens and steps must be taken to iron out the differences within the Delhi administration.

It also expressed its anguish over the non-completion of several upcoming hospitals due to lack of funds with the city government.

The court said it was getting petitions by legislators everyday with respect to their grievances allegedly not being addressed which was "not good".

The petitioners -- Harsh Malhotra, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Praveen Khandelwal, Yogendra Chandolia, Manoj Tiwari, Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Bansuri Swaraj -- argued citizens in the national capital were facing a serious issue of high out-of-pocket health and medical expenses and several had resorted to borrowing or selling assets in a medical emergency.

Swaraj appeared in court on behalf of the petitioners.

Stating "clash of political ideologies must take a back seat" in the interest of welfare of the residents of Delhi, the petitioners sought the Delhi government to implement the scheme.

"Of 36 states/UTs, 33 have implemented the scheme and at present the government of Odisha is actively considering the implementation of the scheme. However, the scheme has not been implemented in NCT of Delhi uniquely and arbitrarily depriving the target beneficiaries of the easy and efficient access to a promised cover of Rs 5 lakh which would protect them from the catastrophic expenditure in secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation across a vast network of empanelled public and private hospitals," the petition claimed.

The plea alleged that former Delhi finance minister Manish Sisodia in his budget speech for FY 2020-2021, made a "categorical commitment" with respect to the implementation of the scheme but the promise was "arbitrarily and unreasonably" rendered ineffective.

"It is evident that a power struggle exists between the government of the NCT of Delhi and the Central government. Amid this conflict, respondent number 1 (Delhi government) has failed in its fundamental responsibility to ensure improved public health infrastructure, including hospitals and dispensaries, for the citizens," it added.