Shiromani Akali Dal slams Punjab govt for closing down rural dispensaries

IANS

Chandigarh, January 31

Shiromani Akali Dal has condemned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab for issuing notifications to close down all rural dispensaries in state and transferring doctors and accompanying staff to Aam Aadmi clinics.

SAD legal wing president Arshdeep Singh Kler told the media that the step would not only destroy the rural health infrastructure, painstakingly developed over decades, but would also deprive rural people of health services which they were earlier getting at doorsteps.

He slammed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for becoming party to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s conspiracy to destroy Sikh heritage by changing the nomenclature of satellite centres established in memory of five Panj Piaras of Guru Gobind Singh in Amritsar.

He said the Chief Minister had also hurt Sikh sentiments by affixing his picture on the satellite centres.

He also disclosed how the government proposed to misuse public funds by planning a Rs 30 crore campaign to publicise the Rs 10 crore Aam Aadmi clinic initiative.

“The CM claims 10 lakh people have benefited from the Mohalla clinics. If this is so, why does the government need Rs 30 crore to publicise this initiative,” he asked.