Post-SC rap: L-G, CM meet to fight dengue

After the Delhi high court ruled that the lieutenant-governor was the administrative head of the city, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for the first time met L-G Najeeb Jung to discuss issues concerning the viral outbreak of dengue and chikungunya.

The Wednesday meeting, called on the direction of the Supreme Court, was attended by health minister Satyendar Jain, besides top civic and health officials. Earlier on Tuesday, the top court had asked the Delhi government to hold a meeting with the L-G and chalk out a strategy to deal with the health crisis.

According to the Raj Niwas, Mr Jung asked for a feedback from all present on the directions issued by him in the previous two review meeting held on Septmber 14 and Septmber 26. He has even asked Mr Jain to hold weekly reviews.

Sources said the chief minister remained tight-lipped almost throughout the meeting. Last month, ministers of the AAP government, including Mr Jain, were involved in fracases with the L-G after he had asked deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia to return from his official tour to Finland.

Mr Kejriwal was then recuperating after undergoing a throat surgery in Bengaluru and the capital was grappling with the viral outbreak of dengue and chikungunya.

The L-G’s office on Wednesday also directed the Delhi government departments and the BJP-ruled municipal corporations to work together to contain the menace of vector-borne diseases. After the meeting, Mr Jain told reporters that the L-G has directed all the departments to work together.

The health minister said he informed Mr Jung that the chances of mosquito breeding will increase following the recent spell of rain. “The L-G has directed the MCDs to give more attention to cleanliness and has given them the primary responsibility of prevention (of mosquito breeding),” he said, adding that the number of patients suffering from dengue and chikungunya has decreased in the hospitals.

The Delhi government on Wednesday issued adverts in newspapers saying that its health facilities will re-main open for all days of the week in the wake of dengue-chikungunya outb-reak. Currently, 355 fever clinics are running in the city.

After the meeting, a statement issued by Mr Jung’s office said: “The meeting ended with the L-G insisting that all concerned must continue to put in their best efforts and, in fact, intensify them further, especially in the wake of recent rains in the city. The lieutenant-governor insisted on making the awareness progra-mme more robust since mo-squito breeding has still not abated. “He (the L-G) asked the minister (health) to hold a review once a week to keep abreast of the situation. The L-G shall himself be reviewing the situation in the next few days,” the statement added.