Saurabh Bharadwaj

Delhi to provide Rs 5,000 monthly assistance to specially-abled persons

Addressing the press conference, Bharadwaj said that the specially-abled person with over 60 per cent disability will be eligible for financial assistance

Saurabh Bharadwaj alleges corruption in housing for poor, calls for probe

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday alleged a scam in the housing for the poor and said the DDA housing units meant for slum dwellers in the city are sold illegally to ineligible individuals. No immediate response was available from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the BJP on the allegations. Bharadwaj alleged in a press conference that these DDA flats are being sold to ineligible individuals, undermining the very purpose of the initiative aimed at aiding the poor. The slum dwellers, who have been displaced by the Central's government actions, were promised housing that is now falling prey to corruption and this cannot happen without the lieutenant governor's consent, he alleged. "These flats cannot be sacrificed to corruption without the consent of the Central government's DDA. Such a big scam and corruption were happening right under the nose of the BJP LG and it is not possible that Lieutenant Governor Vinay Saxena was not aware of it," he said. Bharadwaj also

FIR lodged against Saurabh Bharadwaj for ruckus over bus marshal issue

Delhi Police on Sunday registered a case against AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and three party MLAs for the ruckus at the Secretariat and Lt Governor's House over the issue of reinstatement of bus marshals. According to the FIR registered based on a complaint by Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, the AAP MLAs have been charged under in Civil Lines police station under sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Delhi Police has not released any statement on the matter so far. On Saturday, Bharadwaj and other AAP leaders were seen laying at the feet of Gupta, requesting him to accompany them to LG VK Saxena's House to get his approval on the cabinet note on bus marshals. Gupta has alleged that AAP MLAs Saurabh Bhardwaj, Kuldeep Kumar, Jarnail Singh and Rohit Mahroliya indulged in indecent behaviour that led to a scuffle. He said this happened after the BJP MLAs ...

Order against Navratri celebrations a Tughlaqi Farman: Delhi minister

The controversial order, issued on Monday, bans gatherings of five or more people in key areas of Delhi for six days, citing concerns over public order

Delhi in panic due to firing cases, LG's priorities unclear: Bharadwaj

AAP Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday claimed that there is an atmosphere of panic in Delhi, questioning the role and priorities of Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena amidst rising law and order concerns. "Delhi has 209 police stations. Why doesn't the LG visit them? Whenever there is work related to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), he goes with the commissioner, and for Public Works Department (PWD) matters, he takes the secretary along," Bharadwaj alleged. "For Delhi Jal Board issues, he will take all three involved. He inspects the sites, makes remarks, takes photos, and claims the work was done under his direction, even though it is the Delhi government's responsibility," Bharadwaj added. "There is an atmosphere of panic in Delhi today. I can say with full responsibility that such a situation has never existed in my Delhi before," Bharadwaj added, underscoring the growing concerns about public safety in the capital. Referring to a recent shooting inside a showroom in .

Delhi govt to launch facility for quick clearance of investors' application

The Delhi government will next week launch a single window facility for faster clearances of investors' applications, boosting ease of doing business in the city. The beta version of the single window system will be launched by Industry Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday, said a government statement. "The platform aims to streamline pre-operation approvals, reduce compliance, promote sector-specific reforms, shorten project timelines and enhance ease of starting and doing business in Delhi," Bharadwaj said. The portal will help realize objective of speedy processing of clearances and providing investor-friendly environment to business, he added. So far, 59 services across 12 stakeholder departments have been onboarded on the platform. Specifically, 37 services from seven departments namely labour, MCD, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, weights and measures, DJB, power discoms and industries were onboarded on the single window system in the first phase of the plan, the minister

Mpox patient at LNJP hospital stable, no need to panic: Delhi minister

The mpox patient admitted at LNJP Hospital here is in a stable condition, Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said on Tuesday. Bharadwaj conducted a surprise inspection of the hospital to assess preparations for dealing with mpox and dengue. "There is one confirmed patient of mpox at LNJP hospital. He has a travel history and it's believed that he got infected during his travel abroad," the minister said. "The patient has been isolated in a separate ward. He is in a stable condition," he added. The 26-year-old patient, a resident of Haryana's Hisar, has only genital ulcers and skin rashes but no fever, a health department official said. Bharadwaj emphasised that there was no need to panic over mpox, as it spreads through contact, not through the air. The Union Health Ministry on Monday said that it was an "isolated case" and there was no immediate risk to public. "The individual, a young male who recently travelled from a country experiencing ongoing mpox transmission, is ..

Delhi health minister highlights doctors shortage, slams L-G for inaction

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Tuesday said there is a shortage of nearly 30 per cent of doctors and specialists at many hospitals, but no efforts have been made to fill these critical vacancies despite repeated requests to the lieutenant governor. He said excuses such as the unavailability of the chief minister and the lack of an NCCSA meeting, are being cited by the LG's office to delay appointment for these positions. Bharadwaj's statement came during a press meet here where he also discussed the series of measures taken by Delhi government to combat the spread of dengue. "We have requested that warnings and awareness announcements be made across all metro stations, bus stations and other public transport hubs to inform people about dengue prevention," the minister said. Emphasising that it is very important that all government hospitals in the city are fully equipped to handle dengue cases, Bhardwaj said he directed several actions to the health secretary but was uns

Series of measures directed to combat spread of dengue: Saurabh Bhardwaj

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj on Tuesday said he has directed a series of measures to combat the spread of dengue in the national capital. "We have requested that warnings and awareness announcements be made across all metro stations, bus stations and other public transport hubs to inform people about dengue prevention," the minister said. Emphasising that it is very important that all government hospitals in the city are fully equipped to handle dengue cases, Bhardwaj said he directed several actions to the health secretary but was unsure if those steps have been implemented. "I have directed the health secretary to visit one government hospital each day to check that all necessary dengue-related equipment is available. However, I'm uncertain if these visits have commenced. If not, I will personally visit the hospitals and ensure compliance," the AAP minister said. Bhardwaj alleged that whenever there is a major crisis in Delhi, documentation has revealed that Lt Governor

Delhi LG inspects drains in Nizamuddin, calls ground reality shameful

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Sunday inspected three arterial drains in the Nizamuddin area and flagged their state "appalling & shameful" that were found to be heavily choked with silt, sludge and debris, Raj Niwas officials said. Hitting back at the Lt Governor, the AAP, in a statement, said, "Now that the monsoon is almost over, the LG has come forward, just to pay lip service and engage in dirty politics. It would have been better if the LG had taken action against the Chief Secretary and the PWD Secretary, as well as any other officers involved in the wrongdoings." "There is still time for the LG to take action against CS Naresh Kumar; otherwise, everything else is just a photo opportunity and blatant politics mere lip service," they said. In a series of posts on X, Saxena said he visited and inspected the Barapulla, Kushak and Sunehri drains and the historic Barapulla bridge at Nizamuddin today. "The reality on the ground is appaling & shameful. It requires ...

Bharadwaj asks Delhi CS to explain 'pending decisions' claim on drainage

In the ongoing spat between Delhi government ministers and the bureaucrats, Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday sought explanation from the chief secretary on his claim of "pending decisions" on drainage plans. Bharadwaj, who is also the irrigation and flood control minister, said in his note to Naresh Kumar that he has confirmed with the department that no decision is pending because of him. The officers and ministers of the Delhi government were involved in a blame game in the aftermath of the death of three civil services aspirants after rain water flooded the basement library of a coaching centre in Old Rajinder Nagar area on Saturday evening. Referring to a note of Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to Revenue Minister Atishi on Monday, Bharadwaj said it has been claimed in the para 2.5 of the note that some decisions are pending on the part of the irrigation and flood control minister. He charged similar claims were also "planted" by the LG office on Monday. No

L-G failed to acknowledge water shortage in Delhi due to Haryana: Bharadwaj

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Saturday hit back at Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena for holding the AAP government responsible for the city's water crisis, claiming he failed to acknowledge that the shortage was mainly due to BJP-ruled Haryana blocking 100 MGD of water. Bharadwaj also alleged that Saxena was functioning like a "BJP L-G" and not the L-G of Delhi. The Delhi urban development minister, however, agreed with Saxena that governance needs a consistent endeavour to deliver for the people by building consensus. "But we are unable to understand why the L-G does not hold the BJP-led Haryana government to the same yardstick despite being fully aware that the Haryana government has been blocking over 100 MGD of Delhi's rightful share of water for the past many days," he said in a statement. As a constitutional functionary, blaming the ruling party in Delhi of playing politics while "turning a blind eye" to the hard facts of falling water supply to the city by the BJP-led ..

NEET row: AAP leaders protest at Jantar Mantar, demand SC monitored probe

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders gathered at the Jantar Mantar here on Tuesday to protest against the alleged irregularities in the NEET exam. Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj demanded that a Supreme Court monitored probe be initiated into the matter. "There are 24 lakh students, who appeared in the NEET exam. They prepared for 16 to 18 hours for the exam. Never before have people heard that someone paid a bribe to ace the exam," he said. Bharadwaj cited the example of Bihar where some aspirants received the exam's question paper and answers in a 'safe house' near Patna a day before it was conducted on May 5. "Some students have approached the Supreme Court. We want that a committee be set up to probe the matter and it should be monitored by the apex court," he added. The NEET-UG 2024 was conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) at 4,750 centres in 571 cities for more than 24 lakh candidates.

BJP leaders vandalised Delhi Jal Board office: AAP minister Bharadwaj

Amid protests over the severe water crisis in the national capital, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday accused BJP leaders and workers of vandalising an office of the Delhi Jal Board. Terming it a "conspiracy" against the government, Bharadwaj shared a video showing some people breaking the windows of an office by hurling stones and earthern pots at it. "See BJP leaders wearing party sashes and its workers raising slogans of BJP Zindabad vandalising government property at the Delhi Jal Board office. Who is getting pipelines broken at various places? Whose conspiracy is it?" he said in a post on X in Hindi. Earlier in the day, BJP leaders led a protest against the AAP government in different areas across Delhi over the water crisis. The AAP government has been accusing the BJP-ruled Haryana of not releasing Delhi's share of water. The Congress has also held protests against the acute water shortage in the national capital.

Minister Bharadwaj directs third party audit of drain desilting by June 30

Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday directed Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar to conduct a third party audit of the claims of desilting of drains by agencies like PWD and MCD by June 30. The minister has also asked the chief secretary to submit a list of drains which have been desilted as on June 10 by different departments of the Delhi government. According to the order, in a review meeting dated June 10 concerning the desilting process, the public works department (PWD) had claimed that out of 2,156 km long drains, about 61 per cent of drains, that is, 1,293 km drains, have been completely desilted. Similarly, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had also claimed that 87.14 per cent of drains taken under phase-1 have been completely desilted. Bharadwaj had sought an exhaustive list of de-silted drains from PWD Principal Secretary A Anbarasu and MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti to verify the claims of the agencies by June 11. However, the data has not bee

Delhi will not witness flooding this time, says Saurabh Bharadwaj

Delhi's Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday asserted the city would not get flooded this time because the Yamuna river will get a clear channel for its flow. Inspecting the ITO Barrage to take stock of the work to desilt the river, he said the Barrage is under the Haryana government's jurisdiction, and a flood happened in Delhi last year "due to blocking of its gates". "Pilot cuts have been made at the places of obstruction. As soon as water flows (with force) through the Yamuna, it will take away the obstructions. The Yamuna will get a clear channel. As the irrigation and flood control minister, I can say there won't be a flood this time," Bharadwaj asserted. Delhi battled one of its worst flood-like situations in several pockets last year because of heavy rain, with more than 25,000 people evacuated from the inundated areas.

Delhi water crisis: L-G assures help; tells AAP leaders to avoid blame game

Lt Governor V K Saxena on Monday met Delhi ministers Atishi and Saurabh Bharadwaj and assured them that he will take up the water supply matter with the Haryana government. He advised them not to indulge in "blame game" and resolve issues amicably. The ruling AAP dispensation has accused the BJP-ruled Haryana of stopping Delhi's share of water for the past several days as the national capital is passing through a severe water crisis amid unprecedented summer heat. After meeting, Atishi said the LG assured them that he would talk to the Haryana government to ensure that the national capital's share of 1,050 cusecs water is released in the Munak canal. In a statement, the LG office said Saxena assured the ministers that he will take up the matter of supply with the government of Haryana and request them to give extra water on humanitarian grounds. Saxena also advised the ministers to avoid blame game and prevent wastage of water, it said. "The LG advised the ministers to not get in

LG letter on heatwave meant to defame, not help Delhi govt: Bharadwaj

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday accused LG VK Saxena of trying to "defame" the state government by saying that it did not do anything for the prevailing heatwave conditions in the city. According to a letter to Delhi Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar, Saxena observed that despite the unusual severity of the heatwave, no instructions had been issued by the state government to protect labourers and accused Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabiinet of lacking "sensitivity" and "seriousness." Responding to the letter, Bharadwaj wrote to the LG alleging he gave "misleading information." He alleged that the objective behind the LG's letter was not to give "suggestions" to combat the heatwave but to humiliate the state government and portray it in a negative light. Addressing a press conference, Bharadwaj said, "On May 27, when half of the summer season has passed a letter from the LG office was written to the Chief Secretary taking a sarcastic dig stating tha

Delhi LG suspends Saurabh Bharadwaj's OSD on alleged irregularities

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena Wednesday suspended Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj's Officer on Special Duty (OSD) R N Das with immediate effect in connection with alleged irregularities in the procurement of medical kits, according to an official order. Das was issued a show cause notice by the Directorate of Vigilance in April in connection with the alleged irregularities in the procurement of various items like Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits, gloves, masks and Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits worth around Rs 60 crore during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. In the order issued on Wednesday, the directorate said, "The Hon'ble Lt. Governor, Delhi, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-rule (1) of Rule-10 of the CCS (CCA) Rules, 1965, hereby, places the said Dr. R.N. Das, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Hon'ble Minister (Health), GNCTD, under suspension with immediate effect." The BJP has also alleged Das's role in the registration process of a children's hospital

Delhi's law and order deteriorated, L-G ruined police force, claims AAP

The AAP alleged on Tuesday that Delhi's law-and-order situation has deteriorated in the last few months and accused Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena of "ruining" the city's police force. There was no immediate reaction from the LG's office. Addressing a press conference here, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj referred to some incidents of crime reported in the last few days. A man was killed in Jaffrabad in the presence of others, he said, adding that the victim was a murder witness and was stabbed multiple times. "The law-and-order situation has deteriorated in the last few months. The National Crime Records Bureau's (NCRB) data shows that Delhi has the highest crime rate (in the country). For a one-lakh population, 1,832 crimes were reported, which is seven times higher than the national average. "This shows LG V K Saxena's inefficiency. He has two things to take care of -- police and the DDA (Delhi Development Authority). But under him, the police force has been ...