On Monday, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal along with Atishi had kickstarted registration to give ₹2,100 to non-tax paying women under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojna, and provide free treatment to those over the age of 60 in government as well as private hospitals under the Sanjeevani Yojna.
However, in an unprecedented move, senior officers in the Delhi government have released public notices and disowned the registration process started by Atishi and Kejriwal for two schemes announced by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the national capital.
In a post on X on Wednesday morning, Kejriwal said, “These people are rattled by the Mahila Samman Yojana and Sanjeevani Yojana. They have planned to arrest Atishi ji in the next few days by filing a fake case. Before that, raids will be conducted on senior AAP leaders…”.
The move of the Central government underscores the tenuous relationship between the bureaucracy and the elected Delhi government.
After an amendment to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act, the services department comes under the control of the lieutenant governor.
The move has escalated tensions between AAP and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, with the latter accusing the party of duping people since the two schemes have not been approved yet.
The public notice, issued by a joint director in the Department of Women and Child Development says, “… a political party is claiming to disburse ₹2,100 per month under the Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojna… no such scheme has been notified in Delhi… If and when such a scheme is notified, the Department of Women and Child Development will launch a digital portal for eligible individuals to submit applications… Any private individual/political party collecting such physical forms/applications or collecting information for applicants… is fraudulent and without authority.”
“The general public are hereby advised and requested not to entertain such promises of a non-existent scheme, as these are misleading and without any authority…,” it says.
The second public notice, by the special secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, also calls the promises fraudulent, adding that people have started visiting government hospitals and offices to enquire about the scheme.
Earlier this month, clearance was given to the Delhi government’s scheme to give ₹1,000 to non-tax paying women but the official registration portal for the scheme is yet to be made functional. The registration process is expected to be carried out online.
And, the scheme to provide free healthcare to those over 60 years old, announced soon after, is not yet ready for implementation, with the cabinet not having passed it.
Follow us
