Why was health secretary sent on leave, asks Kapil Mishra

NEW DELHI: Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra on Tuesday accused Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung of hatching a ‘criminal conspiracy’ against city residents. Mishra

NEW DELHI: Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra on Tuesday accused Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung of hatching a ‘criminal conspiracy’ against city residents. Mishra said Jung “deliberately sent” the Delhi health secretary on 15-day leave even as he (L-G) himself left on a personal trip abroad.

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Addressing a press conference at his residence, Mishra defended the Delhi government, under fire over the spread of vector-borne diseases in the city, saying they had taken all necessary steps, including increasing the number of hospital beds.

“This is a criminal conspiracy against the people of Delhi. First the health secretary was transferred despite (deputy CM) Manish Sisodia’s request not to do so. Then the person, who sat on the file of Chinese manjha ban for six days, was made the new health secretary. He refused to meet health minister after being appointed. And then the L-G deliberately sent him on a leave of 15 days before disappearing himself. Where did he go?” Mishra asked.

Principal health secretary Chandraker Bharti is on leave till September 18, while the L-G is scheduled to return to the city on Wednesday.

Officials in the L-G secretariat, however, said the Delhi government was making an issue of the crisis which is solely in the domain of the government as health was a transferred subject.

“As far as leave sanctioned to the health secretary goes, there is always a link officer if any senior officer goes on leave,” a senior official said.

Earlier in the day, deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who left for Finland on Monday night, said functioning in Delhi government has been stalled as officials were busy following the “L-G’s instructions” of going through the files of the past 18 months and sending these to him.

“For past two months Delhi government officers have only one work — scanning files of last 18 months and sending them to the L-G. Officers do not come to meetings called by ministers” Sisodia tweeted.

“If they believe L-G has all the powers in Delhi, then he should be held responsible,” he added.fogging in Karawal Nagar.

Water minister Kapil Mishra took a fogging machine to his constituency Karawal Nagar on Tuesday, after accusing the MCDs of having failed check mosquito breeding.

“No fogging was done to curb the disease causing mosquitoes in Delhi,” Mishra said, adding that he was doing the job of BJP leaders who instead were sitting in TV studios.