Will prioritise setting up industrial hubs, mohalla clinics: Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj

New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) Newly inducted AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday said his priorities will be setting up industrial hubs and mohalla clinics in Delhi.

A day after the swearing-in ceremony, Bharadwaj took charge of his departments on Friday. He will look after health, urban development, water and industries departments.

Talking to PTI after taking charge, he said the construction of some hospitals was affected due to Satyendar Jain’s absence in the last few months.

“So we will be expediting that. We will expedite the opening of mohalla clinics since we have got a request about that from a few legislators,” he said.

Bharadwaj said they have got good feedback on the Mahila Mohalla Clinics and there are plans to expand them.

“We will be opening them (Mahila Mohalla Clinics) at metro stations. We have identified 30 metro stations where they can be opened. We will talk to Delhi Metro about it,” he said.

Mahila Mohalla Clinics provide comprehensive primary healthcare services to women, adolescent girls and children under the age of 12 in a female-friendly environment. They have all-female staff to deal with patients.

As minister of industries, Bharadwaj said he will prioritise setting up new industrial hubs and generating employment opportunities.

Bharadwaj is a member of the Vidhan Sabha Petitions Committee and in the last few months has highlighted several irregularities.

“We discussed the irregularities highlighted (by the committee). Companies that provide diagnostic services to mohalla clinics were not given payments, and the contracts of operators working at OPDs in hospitals were terminated. Such things should not happen. We will write to the L-G about officers who take arbitrary decisions and will demand action against them,” he said.

Asked how will he work with officials whom he has accused of indulging in irregularities in the past, Bharadwaj said, “There will be no problems. No official is a friend or foe of any minister and vice-versa.”

“We are paid for the welfare of the public. They will do their work and we will do our work and if there is somebody who is thinking about anything else apart from public welfare should rethink. We will work with clear intention,” the minister added.

Atishi and Bharadwaj have said they will shoulder the responsibilities of their cabinet berths just like Bharata did when Lord Ram was in exile.

“Both Satyendar Jain and Manish Sisodia have worked a lot in health and education. We hope that they come back soon and take back their responsibilities,” Bharadwaj said.

Atishi and Bharadwaj were sworn in as ministers following the resignation of Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, both currently in Tihar jail in alleged corruption and money laundering cases, respectively.

Sisodia was arrested by the CBI on February 26 in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi excise policy for 2021-22. He is in judicial custody till March 20. Jain, who is also in judicial custody, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a case of alleged money laundering on May 30 last year.