HEALTH MINISTER DENIES SHUNGLU REPORT, CALLS IT ‘FAKE’

‘Mud-slinging’, ‘no irregularities found,’ alleged Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Shunglu Committee report

Our government has worked as per the Constitution in force till August 4, 2016. After that the High Court made some amendment to it Satyendar Jain

NEW DELHI: Following the reports released by the Shunglu Committee, the Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday dismissed the reports as “mud-slinging” and said, “no irregularity” has been committed by the Aam Aadmi Party government.

On the findings of the Committee, Jain alleged, “Officers were called by the LG, made to sit and write false notes in it under duress.”

The three-member committee, formed by the then Lieutenant- Governor Najeeb Jung, has pointed out ‘gross abuse of power; by Arvind Kejriwal-led government, AAP.

“I have not seen the report but as far as we are concerned, there is no illegality or irregularity... Our government has worked as per the Constitution in force till August 4, 2016. After that the High Court made some amendment to it,” said Jain.

Brushing aside the allegation on the appointment of his daughter as ‘mission director' of Delhi State Health Mission, he said, “All these are lies. The approval for this appointment is made by the Centre,” he added.

The term of former Lieutenant- Governor Najeeb Jung had witnessed a continuous war of words between the LG Office and the Arvind Kejriwal government over several issues.

“This is all mud-slinging. In fact, the probe should be done to find out why the files were suppressed for six months during Jung sahebs time. We had targeted 1,000 mohalla clinics by December 31, 2016, but, they sat on the files for six months,” he said.

Adding further, he stated, “We did nothing wrong or illegal but what was within our authority. If the LG had thought, he could have changed it, then he could have changed it. We did what we deemed fit.”

The 100 paged report deals with decisions including the appointment of certain individuals as advisors to the government taken by Kejriwal and his Cabinet where it had no authority do so and also without the LGS concurrence.

Among other issues, the report raised questions on the government posting officers to the Anti-corruption Branch,

its decisions on transfer and appointments of officers, foreign travel undertaken by ministers without the LGS sanction and appointment of lawyers.

Earlier Jung had said that Kejriwal may face ‘criminal charges' over irregularities found by the panel.

Reacting to the allegations of corruption and nepotism levied on the Delhi government by BJP and Congress, citing the Shunglu Committee report, Delhi Health Minister Jain said that it is a ploy by the opposition to malign their image before the municipal polls.