The Delhi government on Tuesday clarified that all the welfare schemes of the government will continue. The development comes four days after chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in the liquor policy case.
Delhi government runs several welfare schemes such as free power upto 200 units per month, free water upto 20 KL per month, free bus ride for women, free pilgrimage scheme, among others.
“It has been brought to the notice that speculations and rumours are being spread by notorious elements with vested interests in Delhi that with the arrest/remand of chief minister of GNCTD by Enforcement Directorate on 21st March, 2024, welfare schemes and subsidies given by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi will be stopped. Even as the law takes its own course in the process of criminal investigation, it merits clarification that the administration of schemes and governance is never specific to individuals and shall continue in the normal course, as in the past,” Niharika Rai, secretary planning, stated in a press note dated March 26 issued by the planning department.
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“Such rumors create an atmosphere of fear within the general public; therefore, it is necessary to inform the public that: i)There shall be no disruption of any kind in disbursement of admissible subsidies, pensions, welfare benefits etc. ii) Social welfare schemes are funded with public money through the consolidated fund, backed by budgetary allocations. iii) Social welfare funds are neither the personal property of any individual or political entity nor funded by an individual or entity’s personal money. iv) There is an architecture of civil services and processes laid down in the National Capital Territory of Delhi, which continues as usual. v) Hence, these public services, social welfare schemes and subsidies are NOT AT AL affected by the arrest/remand of chief minister. vi) all public services, social welfare schemes and subsidies currently given by Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi shall continue uninterrupted. vii) People should not be misled by any fear-mongering and malicious disinformation in this regard,” Rai said in the press note.
The planning department has appealed to all citizens of Delhi to stay away from any rumour mongers, who would try to take advantage of situation arising from the arrest/remand of Delhi CM, by spreading misinformation.
Kejriwal is under the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) custody till March 28. He has moved the Delhi high court against his arrest.
AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) ministers have said CM Kejriwal will continue to hold the office adding that no existing laws bar a jailed chief minister from holding his office unless they are convicted.
Kejriwal has so far, issued two official orders to his ministers.
In the first order from jail, Kejriwal had on Sunday directed water minister Atishi to address water and sewage-related grievances in the city and arrange water supply in the summer season.
In the second order issued on Tuesday, Kejriwal flagged to health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj the lack of sufficient availability of medicines and diagnostic tests in Mohalla clinics and hospitals and asked him to fix it.
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