BJP, AAP clash over Mohalla Clinics at meeting with DDA

New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) here on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of opposing the allocation of earmarked land for Mohalla Clinics.

"BJP legislator O.P. Sharma and its two councillors, who are non-official members of the DDA, opposed the allocation of land earmarked for Mohalla Clinics. AAP legislator Somnath Bharti, also a member of the DDA, advocated for allocation of land," the AAP said in a statement.

The Delhi government had submitted a proposal to the DDA for early allotment of land for Mohalla Clinics in the city. The meeting, headed by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, ended without any decision on land, the AAP said.

"The BJP scuttled the allotment of land belonging to the people of Delhi to build primary healthcare centres for the people at a meeting with the DDA," the AAP said.

Bharti said while the L-G was responding positively and asking the DDA to consider the proposal seriously, "the BJP's politics of blocking pro-people work came in the way of the proposal's acceptance."

"The BJP opposed the grant of land and said it was not in the public interest. After the debate, the L-G asked the BJP to reconsider the proposal," said Bharti.

The AAP government had promised to set up 1,000 Mohalla Clinics, but after 4.5 years only 201 clinics were operational.

The government had said the project could not take off due to non-availability of land, with various land-owning agencies, including the DDA, not willing to provide land for the clinics.

However, Health Minister Satyender Jain said the Delhi government was confident of building 1,000 Mohalla Clinics by the end of 2019.