BJP's Vijender Gupta slams AAP govt on 'Aam Aadmi' canteens

New Delhi: The AAP government's promise of opening 'Aam Aadmi' canteens serving cheap food for the poor has been "exposed", senior BJP leader Vijender Gupta said on Saturday claiming that the health and family welfare department has "refused" to run the proposed canteens.

Gupta, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, cited a letter purportedly written by a Joint Secretary in the health and family welfare department to him, saying that the government was "unaware" of which department should be entrusted with responsibility of opening and running the canteens.

He said that the Delhi Cabinet had decided last year that the health and family welfare department will be the administrative department for Aam Aadmi canteens in place of the food and supply department.

Citing the letter written to him by the health and family welfare department's Joint Secretary Premanand Prusty, Gupta said that the department has "refused" to accept the Cabinet order saying that opening and running Aam Aadmi canteens was outside its mandate.

"The letter shows the bankruptcy of Kejriwal government as even the cabinet is not aware as to which department should be entrusted with the responsibility to open and run Aam Aadmi canteens," he said.

The first Aam Aadmi canteen was inaugurated by Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain at LNJP Hospital in January this year.

Opening Aam Aadmi canteens for providing subsidised food priced at Rs 10 was a poll promise of the AAP in the 2015 Assembly election that it won with a thumping majority.