Chandigarh, January 22

On the ‘controversial’ switch of Health Secretary Ajoy Sharma, the Opposition has cornered the federal government for allegedly losing cash on publicity in different states.

On Friday, the federal government had transferred Sharma after he had refused to offer the executive approval for spending Rs 30 crore on Aam Aadmi Clinics on which authorities had simply spent Rs 10 crore.

In a tweet, former Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Badal mentioned sufferers had been being compelled to convey syringes to get injections administered in authorities hospitals, however the Mann authorities was hell-bent on losing Rs 30 crore on publicising “useless” mohalla clinics. “And if an officer objects to this sheer wastage, he is shunted out,” he mentioned.

Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira tweeted, “This is Delhi health model: Spend thrice the amount of project on publicity! Bhagwant Mann shunts out the Health Secretary merely because he refused to sanction Rs 30 crore for publicity of mohalla clinics! They’ve ruined our rural dispensaries for the theatrics and ego of Arvind Kejriwal.”

Former Deputy Speaker Bir Devinder Singh mentioned the “blatant plundering” of the federal government funds to showcase Aam Aadmi Clinics in different states was extremely outrageous and a despicable transfer of the Health Department.

“As a matter of fact, it is nothing but a propaganda mission of AAP. Why plunder Punjab’s public treasury to showcase Aam Aadmi Clinics in other states, why Punjab be coerced to bear propaganda expenses of AAP?” he mentioned.— TNS

Absurd and unreasonable

It is completely absurd and unreasonable that the scheme of launching 400 Aam Aadmi Clinics price the state exchequer Rs 10 cr solely, whereas the publicity of the programme in different states will price Rs 30 cr. — Bir Devinder Singh, ex-dy speaker