Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said there will be a delay of about two to four months to set up the proposed 1,000 mohalla clinics, a month after the NDMC decided to remove such structures which have been built without permission.

The work of mohalla clinics were to be completed by the end of December as per earlier decision of the government.

Mr Kejriwal said lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung has given principal approval to use government land for setting up mohalla clinics.

The move comes after North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) had last month decided to remove mohalla clinics built on roadsides, saying government didn’t seek its prior approval.

On the delay in setting up mohalla clinics, he said: “There have been a tug of war for the last three-four months. Our health secretary has been transfered. There are also several issues of land for setting up mohalla clinics.”

“One of the municipal corporations had even said that it will demolish all mohalla clinics set up by the government. These issues are being sorted out,” he said.

Mohalla clinics scheme is one of the flagship projects of the AAP government and 105 such facilities have been set up currently in different areas of the national capital, with most of these operating out of porta-cabins.

The chief minister said he was happy that in a meeting held on Thursday on the directions of Supreme Court, “in-principal” decision has been taken that government land can be used for setting up mohalla clinics.