HC pulls up DDA, MCDs over land for Mohalla Clinics

The Delhi High Court today pulled up the DDA and civic bodies over their failure to examine the feasibility of lands proposed for Mohalla Clinics in the city to provide adequate health facility to the people.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also warned the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) of contempt action against its counsel for his inability to tell the court about the location of 245 sites proposed by the AAP government for Mohalla (locality) Clinics.
"We had passed a specific direction on the last date of hearing to examine the feasibility of sorting out the difficulties with regard to the Mohalla Clinics on the proposed sites.

"It seems the authorities concerned are not proceeding in the matter," the bench observed and directed the Delhi government's Principal Secretary to convene a meeting with all bodies like the DDA and all MCDs to examine the feasibility of land identified for these clinics.
It directed the agencies to place before it the status report with regard to the meetings and its final outcome and listed the matter for January 5.
The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board and Delhi Metro informed the court that they have identified 107 and around 20 sites respectively, for which no objection certificate has also been obtained from the authorities.

Delhi government counsel Sanjoy Ghosh said they have undertaken a massive exercise and identified possible sites where local clinics can be located.

He said due to non-availability of land, they were unable to set up these clinics which could provide medical care to every citizen within two kilometres of his or her residence.
The health project was delayed after complaints of irregularities were received by the LG, leading to a probe by the Vigilance Department. The lack of land for the project had also held it up.
The court was hearing NGO Justice for All's plea for direction to the authorities to allot adequate number of plots for construction of these clinics with permission to raise the appropriate temporary structures to run them.

Advocate Khagesh B Jha, appearing for the NGO, had alleged that the LG has now approved the scheme of Mohalla Clinics but due to multiplicity of agencies and difference of opinion among them has led to the scheme working in very slow pace.
Seeking direction to the Centre, DDA and MCD to remove the technical difficulties for construction of the temporary structures and running the clinics, the plea urged that the authorities be asked to depute doctors, staffs and provide proper facilities for their smooth functioning.