Will provide free education, healthcare if elected in Guj: Kejriwal

PTI, Aug 22, 2022, 5:53 PM IST

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy CM Manish Sisodia on Monday ”guaranteed” free and quality education and healthcare in poll-bound Gujarat along the lines of Delhi if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is voted to power.

Sisodia, who holds the portfolio of Education besides other departments, said good education is the right of every child in Gujarat, irrespective of whether he lives in a village, or city, or studies in a government or private school.

In a joint press conference, Kejriwal promised free and quality healthcare to all in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. ”If voted to power, the AAP government will set up clinics like ‘mohalla’ clinics of Delhi at village and ward levels and improve the infrastructure of government hospitals to compete with private hospitals. The AAP government will also implement the Delhi scheme of free treatment for accident victims,” Kejriwal said.

Reacting to the Gujarat government’s decision to hike the compensation for families of martyred soldiers from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1 crore, Kejriwal said the move came after he made a similar promise to the protesting ex-servicemen in Gujarat during his visit two months back.

Kejriwal demanded that the Gujarat government cover the martyred policemen as well as he had done in Delhi.

At the presser, Kejriwal introduced Sisodia as the ”world’s best education minister” quoting a New York Times report.

”We assure to provide the best education system to every child born in Gujarat as we have done in Delhi. I appeal to all to give Arvind Kejriwal a chance if you want Gujarat to progress and move forward. The Aam Aadmi Party and CM Kejriwal guarantee to provide a free and best education system in Gujarat,” Sisodia said.

He also promised a ”grand makeover” of government-run schools in Gujarat like Delhi and said that the shortage of teachers will be removed through immediate recruitment. Permanent teachers will be recruited in every school, Sisodia said.

”Most importantly, no private school will be allowed to raise fees illegally. I am sure that the people of Gujarat will give Kejriwal a chance,” he said.

Kejriwal said one-crore school students in Gujarat ”feel cheated” irrespective of whether they go to a government or private school. ”Private schools raise fees randomly. Those who go to government schools know their condition. The plan that Manishji (Sisodia) talked about will improve the condition of 1 crore children,” he said.

Targetting the state government, Kejriwal said the condition of state-run schools in Gujarat is the testimony of 27 years of ”misgovernance” of the ruling BJP.

”If you give them another chance, they will waste another five years,” he said.

Kejriwal alleged that state-run dispensaries in Gujarat are in very bad shape and being destroyed ”deliberately to force people to go to private hospitals ”where treatment is so costly that people are forced to commit suicide for want of money”.

”…So my first guarantee is that everybody living in Gujarat will get free and quality (medical) treatment. The second guarantee is that all medicines, tests, treatment, operation, of both the rich and poor will be provided free,” he said. The AAP leader said rich people will be free to go to private hospitals, but nobody will be asked for a BPL card.

He said people visiting government hospitals will get free treatment. ”Like mohalla clinics in Delhi, villages and wards in cities will have clinics for the treatment of minor diseases,” the Delhi CM said. ”My fourth guarantee is that the condition of government hospitals will be improved like private hospitals and more hospitals will be opened if required,” he said.

Kejriwal further said that along the lines of a Delhi scheme, those injured in road accidents will get free treatment, even if they are admitted to private hospitals.

”In the last three years, we (Delhi government) have saved the lives of 13,000 people. We bear the cost of their treatment in private hospitals,” he said.

Kejriwal also reached out to transport employees in Gujarat.

”Transport employees are protesting and sad as they are paid very low salaries. Within a week of forming a government in Gujarat, we will fulfil their demand. I request them to tell every passenger to vote for a change in Gujarat,” Kejriwal added. During his earlier visits to Gujarat, Kejriwal had ”guaranteed” free electricity up to 300 units in a month, free and quality education, a Rs 3,000 monthly unemployment allowance and a job to every youth in Gujarat if his party was voted to power. He had also promised Rs 1,000 to all women above the age of 18 years if they are willing to accept such a grant in the state.