At Arogya Mandirs’ launch, Gupta blames past govts for Delhi’s civic neglect

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta inaugurated 70 Arogya Ayushman Mandirs, criticizing past governments for neglecting basic infrastructure and pledging improvements.

The inauguration of 70 new Arogya Ayushman Mandirs in Delhi on Tuesday became the backdrop for chief minister Rekha Gupta’s sharp attack on previous Aam Aadmi Party and Congress governments, which she claimed had left the city without meaningful development, with large swathes of the capital still lacking basic water and sewer facilities.

CM Rekha Gupta inaugurated Ayushman Arogya Mandir at Shakti Nagar on Tuesday. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Gupta said she has witnessed “no improvement” in several neighbourhoods over the past 15 years.

“When I cross these areas, I have not seen anything change. After 15 years of Congress and 11 years of the AAP government, the situation remains the same. In half of Delhi, there is still no water line, no sewer line. Water tankers are still supplying water. It is shocking that this is the condition of the national capital,” she said.

She added that only now, after 27 years, desilting and repair work had begun on key pipelines and sites to address chronic water shortages. “The system is still based on the 1973 Master Plan. In the past 50 years, no new system has been created and nobody seemed worried about that,” she said.

Gupta also criticised legislators for failing to prioritise basic civic issues despite the funds allocated to them. “Earlier, MLAs would show funds of ₹5 crore in documents. But have we ever asked them to make a list of the issues in their constituencies and then use the funds to resolve them? If there is proper planning, money will never be an issue,” she said.

She further announced that the government would soon begin the beautification of the Ghanta Ghar–Azadpur corridor, which she said needed redesigned roofing, improved road carpeting, upgraded footpaths and an overall facelift. Certain historical colonies, she added, also required large-scale beautification.

The Delhi government on Tuesday opened 70 more Aayushman Aarogya Mandirs, taking the total number of operational centres in the city to 238. The launch was conducted both virtually and in person by different ministers. According to government figures, 550,000 Ayushman health cards have been issued in Delhi under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, with 12,980 hospital admissions recorded and claims worth ₹21.10 crore settled.

“With each Ayushman Arogya Mandir we inaugurate, we are strengthening our commitment to preventive healthcare and bringing essential services closer to people’s homes,” health minister Pankaj Singh said.

Referring to AAP’s Mohalla Clinics, Gupta said it lacked adequate facilities and served largely as an “advertisement tool” for the party.

” In contrast, the new Ayushman Mandirs offer diagnostic services, medicines and essential healthcare under one roof.Anyone can visit our facilities and see how they function. We have established 1,200 such centres for the benefit of Delhi residents,” she said.