‘Huge disagreement’ on tariff war in Trump administration, but he went ahead: Chief of staff Wiles

New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said on Friday that the government is working to introduce the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in 11 hospitals and a transaction adviser is being appointed for the purpose.

Speaking to reporters after an inspection at Bawana’s Maharshi Valmiki hospital, Singh said the government is committed to implementing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and address concerns of patients and the doctors.

“We have come across some lapses and shortcomings at Maharshi Valmiki Hospital and I have ordered their resolution within 15 days,” said Singh.

He claimed that the Health Department was on the path of recovery after suffering due to mismanagement of the previous AAP government.

The Health Minister pointed to delays in construction of an operation theatre at the hospital which has not been completed for over a year, problems with civil works, and shortage of staff.

The Delhi Health Minister’s visit to the hospital comes a day after the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) booked former health ministers and AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain for alleged corruption in health infrastructure projects involving 24 hospitals and expenditure of Rs 5,590 crore by the Delhi Government.

A cheating, breach of trust and conspiracy case was registered after the Centre, on the recommendation of Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, granted sanction for proceedings against the previous government’s minister under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The financial embezzlement linked to the projects, mired in inexplicable delays and astronomical cost overruns, took place in 2018-19, said the official.

Massive irregularities, unexplained delays, and significant misappropriation of funds have been found in the construction of various hospitals, polyclinics and ICU infrastructure across the city, said an investigator.

Substantial deviations and cost escalations, amounting to several hundred crores, were observed. Not a single project was completed within the prescribed timeline, said the complaint filed on August 22 by the then Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta.

Gupta had highlighted grave irregularities and suspected corruption in various health infrastructure projects under the GNCTD.

The complaint named former Health Ministers Bharadwaj and Jain, alleging systematic manipulation of project budgets, misuse of public funds, and collusion with private contractors.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) After Anas Khan, son of AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, allegedly misbehaved with Delhi Police personnel, Congress leaders on Friday raised concerns about the entitlement displayed by some individuals in power.

The incident, which took place during a routine security patrol in Okhla, has sparked political debate about accountability and respect for the law.

Congress National Spokesperson Pawan Khera condemned the behaviour of the AAP leader’s son, stating, “Such situations were rare in Delhi a few decades ago, but now we’re seeing a dangerous mindset emerging again — that ‘you don’t know who my father is’. This kind of thinking is detrimental to the national capital and our democracy.”

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shinate also weighed in, criticising the notion that a person’s familial connections can exempt them from obeying the law.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re the son of an MLA. As a citizen, you must respect the laws of this country. No one is above the law, and that includes traffic regulations,” she said.

“This sense of entitlement is not just limited to Delhi; we’re seeing similar stories from states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. I recently saw a video from MP where a minister’s son was driving recklessly in an open car at high speeds, making reels, and no one stopped him. This is an abuse of power and a disregard for public safety.”

The incident in Delhi’s Okhla occurred during a security patrol ahead of Republic Day when two individuals were spotted riding a motorcycle with a modified silencer, creating a disturbance.

Police stopped them for violating multiple sections of the Motor Vehicle Act, with fines totalling Rs 20,000 and filed a case against two persons. One of the riders reportedly claimed to be Amanatullah Khan’s son, accusing the officers of targeting him due to his father’s political position.

Delhi Police said that the duo also refused to provide their driving licenses and identification, saying they were not required to do so.

However, this is not the first time that the AAP MLA’s family has been embroiled in a dispute. In May 2024, Amanatullah Khan’s son and his aides thrashed some employees of a Noida petrol pump in Sector 95 and the video of the violent assault went viral on social media.

–IANS

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Lucknow, Oct 1 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday asserted that the state, which was earlier “marred with riots and curfews”, was brought out of “policy paralysis” after 2017.

The Chief Minister made the remarks during the flag-off ceremony of 87 interceptor vehicles and medal presentation for police personnel in Lucknow.

Addressing a gathering, CM Adityanath mentioned Inspector Sunil Kumar of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), who was posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, for his exceptional bravery during an encounter with members of the Mukim Kala gang in Shamli district.

“This is the first time that an officer of UP Police has been bestowed with the Kirti Chakra,” he observed.

He added that 16 other security personnel from the state have been awarded with the President’s bravery medal and 10 UP Police personnel have been awarded with the Chief Minister’s bravery medal.

“When technology is incorporated into thoughts and behaviour, it also delivers results. The identity that UP Police has built today is the result of this very thing,” he stated.

“No matter who the person is, no matter how great they may be, no matter the pride of their position, if their security is removed, it won’t take long for them to become a scared cat in an atmosphere of anarchy. Healthy thinking is possible only in a healthy environment…Therefore, the tagline of the UP Police is ‘Your safety is our commitment’,” he added.

CM Adityanath further said that UP Police is effectively carrying forward the state government’s policy of ‘zero tolerance’ towards crime and criminals.

The UP CM then referred to the historic Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Supreme Court of India in 1996 by former Director General of Police (DGP) Prakash Singh, along with co-petitioner N.K. Singh and the organisation Common Cause, seeking structural reforms to overhaul the colonial-era Police Act of 1861.

He stated: “Those reforms were first implemented in Uttar Pradesh. Moreover, according to the demands, we have so far made seven police commissionerates in the state.”

In a veiled attack on the previous Samajwadi Party government, CM Adityanath said: “Before 2017, people were reeling under an identity crisis for hailing from Uttar Pradesh. I understand that the police faced challenges because if political leadership lacks the capacity to make decisions and has a weak backbone, how can it set the law-and-order situation, right?”

“They (leaders) used to bow down before ‘mafias’. The latter ruled every district of Uttar Pradesh. Police were compelled in front of them and no efforts were being made to bring reforms in the force,” he alleged, adding that the state’s police force had poor infrastructure and training facilities before 2017.

Adding to the criticism of the previous regime, CM Adityanath further said: “The state was marred with riots and curfews…Muzaffarnagar witnessed curfew for six long months. No one felt safe in the state. As a result of this Uttar Pradesh was being counted among ‘sick’ states. Despite being the largest state, it lagged behind in terms of economy, recruitments, technology, and implementation of welfare schemes for youth, women etc. People were left frustrated and disappointed.”

“But things changed after 2017, the state was brought out of policy paralysis. We implemented police reforms here…Today, more than 14 lakh cameras have been put up across districts for security and investigation purposes. Integrated Command and Control Centres have also been created across districts,” he added.

–IANS

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