Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday replied to a letter he had received from Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena wherein the latter expressed concerns over "deteriorating health infrastructure in Delhi". In his reply, Kejriwal said that he has sought a report from his health minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj, on the issue, while also referencing his previous demand for the replacement of Delhi's Health Secretary, Deepak Kumar, who the CM described as an "inefficient" bureaucrat who "refuses to follow orders of his Minister".
"...I wish to state that I have written to you earlier also to replace the Health Secretary Sh. Deepak Kumar, who is not only inefficient but openly defies the oral and written orders of his minister. How can an elected government function if the senior-most bureaucrat in that department refuses to follow orders of his Minister?" the Delhi CM said in his letter to Saxena. Kejriwal also blamed Delhi's Finance Secretary for the prevailing condition of Delhi's health infrastructure.
The letter read, "Likewise, the Finance Secretary, Sh Ashish Verma had in the past stopped the payments of medicines, lab tests, doctors' salaries, farishtey scheme, DAK scheme, thus paralysing the entire health system. I have requested you several times in the past, both in my personal meetings with you and in writing, to replace the Finance Secretary. He also openly defies orders of his Finance Minister."
"The insubordination and refusal of Finance Secretary and Health Secretary to obey the orders of their Ministers has brought Delhi's Health system to this state. I have repeatedly requested you to replace these two bureaucrats with better officers as these are very critical departments. I am sure that there must be some compulsion at your end because of which you are unable to do that despite promising me many times that you would replace them. In the interest of the people of Delhi, I again urge you to kindly replace them at the earliest," CM Kejriwal added.