SC directs Arvind Kejriwal government, Najeeb Jung to hold meeting on dengue, chikungunya

In the wake of rising cases of dengue and chikungunya in the national capital, the Supreme Court on Tuesday directed Delhi government to convene a meeting and chalk out strategy to curb vector-borne diseases. 

The apex court warned the government against playing any blame game and directed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Health Minister Satyendra Jain to hold a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung by Wednesday.

“There is no question of playing any blame game. You have the responsibility to look after the people of Delhi. You may be great but you have to do something to maintain that stature. Nothing digging of the past should happen. You have to look at the future,” a bench of justices M B Lokur and L Nageswara Rao said.

It refused to go into the allegations and counter-allegations over power tussle between the LG and Kejriwal-led government and said “no substitute” should attend the meeting with LG, except whose names have been proposed.

The court also asked Union Health secretary P K Mishra, Chief Secretary K K Sharma, commissioners of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and New Delhi Municipal Council, CEO of Delhi Cantonment Board to attend the meeting with LG.

Apart from the officials and office bearers of civic bodies, the court also asked Amicus Curiae Colin Gonsalves, Chairman of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and General Manager of Northern Railway and Vice Chairman of Delhi Development Authority to attend the meeting to discuss the steps to be taken to check the menace in the city.

The bench expressed annoyance after senior advocate Chander Uday Singh appearing for Delhi government and Health Minister Satyender Jain alleged that officials are not reporting to the minister and not coming to the meetings.

“There cannot be two Delhi governments. Officials are not reporting to us they are not coming to the meeting. We should know with whom we should sit and talk,” Singh said.

To this, the infuriated bench said, “Don’t beat around the bush. Do we tell you with whom you should sit and talk?  Who is the elected government? There cannot be two elected governments. The elected government has responsibility to look after the people.”