Delhi: LoP Vijender Gupta asks AAP govt to implement PM-ABHIM

New Delhi : Accusing the AAP government of choosing petty politics over public welfare, BJP’s Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta on Monday questioned its alleged indecision over joining the centrally-funded PM-ABHIM that proposed to set up over 1,000 health centres and 11 testing labs in the city.

In a letter to Chief Minister Atishi, Gupta asked the government to take an early decision on joining the PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), failing which the BJP will launch an agitation in the election-bound city.

Slamming the AAP government for depriving Delhi citizens of the central government-supported health scheme, Gupta said in a video message on social media X, “For four years the AAP government has failed to take a decision on joining the PM-ABHIM scheme, making Delhi the only state in the country to be denied its benefits.”

“Time has come to end the Delhi government’s conspiracy of blocking all central government schemes, denying benefits to the common man,” said Gupta, urging voters to defeat the AAP in the next elections.

Announced in May 2020, PM-ABHIM is a centrally-sponsored scheme with some Central Sector components, for implementation of the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Package for the health sector.

Gupta said, "Under PM-ABHIM, the Government of India allocated Rs 2,406 crore to Delhi. This amount could have been used to establish three types of health services: 1,139 public health welfare centres, 11 testing labs, and CCUs for critical care. However, the Delhi government did not allow these benefits to reach the public and did not implement the scheme."

PM-ABHIM is a national-level scheme with an outlay of Rs 64,000 crore from 2021-22 to 2025-26, he said, adding that the proposed labs would have started conducting tests by now had a decision been taken by the previous Arvind Kejriwal and the current Atishi governments.

Gupta alleged that the AAP government had corrupt intentions behind its decision to obstruct PM-ABHIM as it wanted to outsource the lab tests to private agencies which indulged in wrongdoings related to bogus billing in the name of ghost patients.

“Crores of rupees were looted from the exchequer under this racket,” alleged Gupta.

“My question to the AAP government is, if there is a scheme for the entire country, why is it preventing Delhiites from benefiting from it?” he asked.

Urging voters in Delhi to support the BJP in the next Assembly elections, Gupta said, “Delhi needs a government that supplements the vision and mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”