‘Farishtey’ scheme stopped despite saving lives, claims AAP; BJP says ‘failed’ initiative

New Delhi: The ‘Farishtey Dilli Ke’ scheme launched by the previous Aam Aadmi Party dispensation saved thousands of lives but is now being halted by the BJP-led Delhi government, the AAP claimed on Sunday.

The BJP, however, termed the scheme a failure and accused the AAP of indulging in corruption under the guise of the initiative.

Addressing a press conference, Delhi AAP chief and former health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed that the scheme had saved thousands of lives but was now being halted.

“How can someone stop such a good scheme that saves lives? The BJP government has removed it from the budget,” Bharadwaj said.

Introduced in 2017 under then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the scheme covered the entire treatment cost of accident victims in private hospitals, encouraging bystanders to assist them without fear of financial burden. According to the AAP, more than 10,000 lives were saved under the initiative.

Bharadwaj claimed that even during his tenure as health minister, officials appointed by the Lieutenant Governor attempted to halt the scheme. The AAP had to approach the Supreme Court, after which funds were released to continue the initiative, he said. “The BJP failed to stop this scheme through the L-G, but now, after coming to power, they have shut it down completely,” he alleged.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the scheme was ineffective and plagued with corruption.

“Farishtey scheme was never successful, and yes, corruption did occur under its guise,” Sachdeva said.

He argued that all welfare schemes introduced by the AAP government had turned into avenues for scams and that the Farishtey scheme

exposed the flaws in the party’s claims of having a world-class health model.