CAG Report Exposes AAP Govt’s Mishandling of Covid Relief Funds

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta tabled the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the capital’s health services in the assembly on Friday, ANI reported. The report has flagged serious concerns about the previous AAP-led government’s handling of COVID-19 funds and the state of health infrastructure in the city.

According to the CAG report, the AAP government “grossly mismanaged” the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing only ₹582.84 crore of the ₹787.91 crore released by the central government. The performance audit report, covering the period from 2016-17 to 2021-22, also highlighted the deteriorating condition of Delhi’s Mohalla Clinics.

The report pointed out several deficiencies in these clinics—21 lacked toilets, 15 had no power backup, six had no tables for check-ups, and 12 were not accessible to persons with disabilities. Similar issues were found in AYUSH dispensaries, where 17 of the 49 inspected facilities had no power backup, seven lacked toilets, and 14 had no drinking water facilities.

This is the second CAG report presented in the assembly, reviewing the status of government hospitals, Mohalla Clinics, and other health services under AAP’s tenure.

BJP Attacks AAP Over CAG Findings

Following the report’s presentation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensified its criticism of the previous AAP government, alleging a severe lack of medical facilities in government hospitals, forcing patients to struggle for treatment.

Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa stated that the report exposes how former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal misused public funds meant for hospitals and health services.

The CAG report will reveal how Kejriwal looted Delhi in the name of healthcare, how Mohalla Clinics lacked even basic power supply. The report’s pages will prove that Arvind Kejriwal is ‘kattar beimaan’ (utterly dishonest),Sirsa alleged.

AAP Defends, Calls It a Routine Process

Responding to the allegations, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dismissed BJP’s criticism, calling it an attempt to manipulate public perception.

“This is a normal process, but BJP has a habit of setting false narratives. The CAG report had to be presented, and our former chief minister Atishi had already completed all the formalities before submitting it to the Chairman,”AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar stated.

The report’s findings have reignited political tensions in Delhi, with both parties trading barbs over accountability in managing public healthcare services.