Mohalla clinic a hub for anti-socials

New Delhi: A porta cabin in Northwest Delhi stands abandoned on the busy road in Kanhaiya Nagar. The structure, which had come up in 2015 during the AAP government’s first phase of the mohalla clinics programme, doesn’t even have basic infrastructure in place and has instead become a site for anti-social activities.

Even as the government promises to complete its target of 1,000 mohalla clinics soon, several of these, which are already established, are struggling for infrastructure and staff even after two years’ of establishment.

The news of a mohalla clinic at JJ Colony near Kanhaiya Nagar Metro station had brought cheers among the locals, but has now become a headache for them with drunkards gathering here and residents using it as a garbage-dumping site.

“We voted them for better health facilities, but look what they gave us — an empty Porta Cabin which has now become a place for drinking alcohol and other objectionable things. Is this the truth of AAP’s dream project?” asked Kanta Kumari, a resident of the area.

Hazurilaal, a local who is waiting for the opening from the past one year, said, “We are counting days from the past one year, but they have completely sidelined this place. During the MCD elections, AAP volunteers cleaned and put up posters of Arvind Kejriwal and Satyendra Jain. However, later on that too was rem-oved. Are they playing some sort of game with us?”

Another clinic, which was set up eight months ago in Shastri Nagar area near Inderlok Metro Station, is also left abandoned by the government. The residents said that the government did not survey the area before opening up the clinic; two mohalla clinics are alre-ady functioning here and a government hospital is just a few minutes away.