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The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi and the Health Department on a plea by the Delhi Government over the issue of “interference” in the healthcare administration and stopping payments for the “Farishtey Dilli Ke” scheme.
The scheme was launched in 2019 for cashless payment by the government for initial treatment of road accident victims, and was meant to encourage citizens to help accident victims. However, according to the Delhi government, payments for the Farishtey scheme have been stopped by the LG for the last one year.
“We have helped more than 22,000 accident victims under this scheme, but suddenly payments have been stopped,” submitted Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government.
The bench of Justices BR Gavai and Sudhanshu Dhulia also expressed concern about the “repeated” standoff between the Delhi government and the LG. “We don’t understand this… One wing of the government keeps fighting with another wingâæ,” commented justice Gavai.
The Delhi Government has argued that LG Vinai Kumar Saxena is “interfering” with healthcare administration and a public benefit scheme that is outside his jurisdiction.
“According to the Supreme Court judgment, the LG has powers over land, law and order, and police. This is about healthcare! How is the LG concerned about healthcare administration? Just because you have control over services and the secretary is under you, now you want to control healthcare!” argued Singhvi.
The court has for now issued a notice and sought a response from the LG, the Health Secretary and others.
In October, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj stated during a press conference that “a few senior officials” had “conspired to stop the Delhi Government scheme, Farishtey Dilli Ke,” which encourages Delhiites to help road accident victims with the government bearing all the costs for the treatment of such patients.
“The payments are made to private hospitals at government rates. But for the last one year or so, payments have not been released to private hospitals. There is a conspiracy by certain officers to stop the scheme,” Bhardwaj alleged in the press conference on October 27. The minister had also written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to take action against the officials.
The Delhi government moved the petition before the Supreme Court on November 30, after no resolution could be achieved on the issue.
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