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Congress Alleges AAP's Rs 382 Cr Scam : Congress Accuses AAP of Rs 382 Crore Irregularities in Delhi Health Sector, Citing CAG Findings

Congress Accuses AAP of Rs 382 Crore Irregularities in Delhi Health Sector, Citing CAG Findings
The Congress party has raised serious allegations against the AAP government's health model, claiming irregularities worth Rs 382 crore based on a CAG report, highlighting issues in project costs and pandemic management.

Synopsis

The Congress party has accused the AAP government of significant irregularities in the health sector, amounting to Rs 382 crore, based on findings from the CAG report. Key allegations include inflated costs and inadequate management during the pandemic, which could impact the political landscape ahead of upcoming elections.

Key Takeaways

  • Allegations of Rs 382 crore irregularities by Congress.
  • Reference to 14 CAG reports detailing governance failures.
  • Claims of criminal negligence during the Covid crisis.
  • Concerns over inflated tender costs for hospital projects.
  • Political ramifications ahead of elections.

New Delhi, Jan 22 (NationPress) The Congress party has raised serious concerns regarding the AAP government's ‘health model’, alleging irregularities amounting to Rs 382 crore in project allocations, hospital refurbishments, and various policy implementations.

During a press conference, Congress treasurer Ajay Maken referenced the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report to highlight alleged corruption under the AAP administration. He outlined several issues, including project cost escalations, inflated tender prices, and what he termed ‘criminal negligence’ by the AAP during the Covid crisis.

Maken stated, “There are at least 14 CAG reports that indicate serious shortcomings and blatant breaches of protocols in AAP governance,” during a press briefing focused on ‘AAP ke Paap’.

He remarked that when the AAP was established, it utilized CAG reports to critique other governments, but now it is entangled in corruption allegations. Maken accused the AAP government of deliberately delaying the release of CAG reports to avoid backlash ahead of the forthcoming elections.

Referring to a specific CAG report concerning the health sector, he contended that a scam of Rs 382 crore has been thoroughly documented.

“Currently, there are 14 CAG reports highlighting significant corruption allegations against the AAP administration, yet these reports remain undisclosed. We want to question Kejriwal about how a Rs 382 crore scam in the health sector occurred. The AAP claims that three new hospitals have been constructed, but all three saw substantial inflation in their tender amounts,” he asserted.

Detailing the cost overruns in hospital projects, Maken noted that the Burari Hospital witnessed an additional expenditure of Rs 41 crore during its construction, while the Maulana Azad Dental College experienced a cost increase of Rs 26 crore.

Maken also highlighted lapses by the Kejriwal administration during the Covid pandemic, stating that according to the CAG report, 56 percent of the Central funds remained unutilized due to inefficient governance.

“Despite receiving a grant of Rs 635 crore from the Centre, the AAP government failed to fully utilize these funds—Rs 360 crore lapsed and was returned. This is nothing less than criminal negligence by the state government,” Maken alleged.

He criticized the city government for its inadequate management of hospitals and healthcare services.

Maken pointed out that the four hospitals selected for the CAG audit face multiple challenges, including malfunctioning equipment, a lack of beds, and extensive waiting periods for surgeries.

The revelations concerning alleged corruption during AAP's governance are expected to intensify political tensions prior to the Assembly elections. Meanwhile, the AAP asserts that the CAG report is nonexistent as it has neither been presented in the Assembly nor published on the watchdog’s portal, claiming it is merely a tactic by opponents to mislead voters.

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