Delhi government extends mohalla clinic scheme by a year

Families of Delhi’s firefighters to get '1crore ex-gratia now.

The Delhi Cabinet on Wednesday extended the Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics pilot project for a period of one year. The government intends to set up 1,000 such new clinics in the national capital by the end of this year.

The AAP government had launched the project on a trial basis for an initial period of six months which was to end on Wednesday. The decision to extend it was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday.

Mohalla clinics scheme is one of the flagship projects of the AAP government, with 105 clinics set up by the health department so far. “The Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics Pilot Project has been extended for a period of one year with effect from September 22 onwards. The Cabinet approval given earlier was till this date,” a senior government official said.

Apart from this, the government introduced its bravery awards to be given on Independence Day and Republic every year. “Ten awards each will be given and will carry a cash award of Rs 2 lakh each. Members of the public will have a right to send nominations for these awards,” a statement from the government said.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal to cover Delhi Fire Services personnel in the existing policy of providing Rs 1 crore compensation to the families of those personnel of uniformed services losing their lives in performing dangerous duties.

“The latest approval will make the families of personnel of Delhi Fire Services, Delhi police, armed forces, paramilitary forces and other uniformed forces who lose their lives in the line of dangerous duty in Delhi, eligible for this compensation. This compensation policy also covers the uniformed personnel killed on duty outside Delhi, but whose families reside in the national capital,” the official added.

These neighbourhood clinics were set up as a pilot project for the 1,000 clinics that the government had promised to open by the end of the year to improve primary healthcare and reduce the burden on the tertiary care centres.