Cong releases poll roadmap for overhauling education, health

Congress today released its roadmap for overhauling primary education and municipal health services asserting that it is focused on a constructive professional civic poll campaign offering solutions to the problems faced by Delhiites.
"Instead of 'Tu-Tu Mai-Mai' campaigning involving allegations on opponents, we are contesting elections in an unprecedentedly professional manner," said party leader Shashi Tharoor.
The former union minister expressed "shock" over "dramatic drop" in the number of students in schools run by three municipal corporations in the city since Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power.
Citing various shortcomings of 1,700 primary schools run by municipal corporations, he said that Congress will set up an "empowered group" to revamp the schools.

"The real problems are poor pupil-teacher ratio due to vacancies of around 6,500 teachers and lack of infrastructure," he said expressing "shock" that kids were forced to sit on floors during winters due to unavailability of desks and chairs for them.
He also announced that after winning MCD elections, Congress will deposit Rs 1,000 in the account of each student enrolling in MCD schools so that after completion of high school they could use it for their future education.

Congress veteran Salman Khurshid exuded hope that party will win MCD polls through constructive and solution- oriented approach while highlighting a roadmap for primary health.

He pointed to "overlapping" of roles among multiple agencies resulting in "lack of coordination" in providing health services to the people.
"If the six super speciality hospitals run by municipal corporations are handed over to Delhi government, the civic bodies could save about Rs 650 crore," he said.
Presenting the 10-point action plan of Delhi Congress for reforming MCD health services, he said the party is committed to provide "safe and dignified" services to people after winning the polls.
Pointing to "chaos and lack of accountability" in health services by BJP-ruled MCD, the roadmap promised to upgrade MCD health services within three months after the party comes to power.

Khurshid also announced promises of task force to check vector-borne diseases, health centres at Metro stations, digitisation of health services delivery system and health watch groups to ward off epidemics like dengue and chikungunya.
Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said BJP-ruled municipal corporations are discharging roles that should be played by Delhi government which has assumed municipal roles.
"The three municipal corporations are running six super speciality hospitals while Delhi government is running Mohalla clinics," he said.
Maken said that Congress after winning polls would hand over hospitals to government while focusing on services provided by dispensaries.
He also batted for "private partnership" to improve quality of MCD schools.