Back from Finland, Sisodia to meet Delhi L-G today over chikungunya spread

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who returned from Finland late on Sunday night, is likely to meet Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung at his office on Monday, sources said.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who returned from Finland late on Sunday night, is likely to meet Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung at his office on Monday, sources said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (left) had gone to Bengaluru for a throat surgery on September 13. His deputy, Manish Sisodia, also left for Finland later that night. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

Earlier on Friday, Jung had directed Sisodia to cut short his educational tour and return to the capital to manage the dengue and chikungunya outbreak.

Sisodia left for Finland on September 13 on an educational trip with senior officials of Delhi government’s education department, which followed criticism from opponents for choosing to travel abroad at a time when vector-borne diseases have gripped the city.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal too was in Bengaluru since September 13 for throat surgery. He returned to the city on Sunday.

The L-G order came on a day when pictures of Sisodia in Finland were aired on TV.

Sisodia, however, said it was not a “sin” to study the schooling system of other countries to fix the problems in Delhi’s education system.

Taking on the L-G, Delhi ministers on Saturday questioned Jung for being on ‘leave’. Health minister Satyendar Jain and tourism and water resources minister Kapil Mishra went to meet Jung at his office in the morning, but could not as the L-G was not available.

The L-G’s office, however, refuted their charges with officials saying the ministers arrived at the office without seeking a prior appointment or even intimating him of their visit. On Sunday, Jung took stock of the preparedness of fever clinics, hospital wards and laboratories in Lok Nayak, Bara Hindu Rao and the GTB hospitals.

At least 15 people have died of chikungunya-related complications in Delhi hospitals. There were 1,724 reported cases in the national capital till September 11, the last day to which data is available with the Union ministry of health and family welfare.