The Delhi government-run Asha Kiran Home is a shelter for the intellectually challenged. According to government sources, the facility has reported at least 25 deaths this year. Six doctors, 17 nurses, 50 auxiliary nurses, and midwife (ANM) professionals are caring for an estimated 1,000 inmates there. 14 of these inmates passed away in July.

A 2012-batch Dadra and Nagar Haveli (Civil) Services (DANICS) officer, who was placed on suspension for five years after being found guilty of bribery in 2016, was appointed as the facility's "Administrator" after his return to the service. This disagreement emerged even as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of the matter on Saturday and demanded a report on the deaths within four weeks. The AAP-led Delhi government and Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena's office sparred over the appointment.

Suffering from a "severe staff crunch" in spite of progressive overcrowding over the years, official sources reported significant discrepancies between the authorized and actual staff numbers at the Rohini-based facility, citing the initial findings of an investigation into the deaths.

Bharatiya Liberal Party (BLP) led by Dr. Munish Raizada expressed its sympathies with the parents of all those children. The tweet also adds, "It is shameful that the Aam Aadmi Party is politicizing the tragic deaths of 14 children and a woman in a shelter home in Delhi. This should be investigated as soon as possible and action should be taken against those who are involved in this matter".

Dr. Munish Raizada also posted a bound on the MedBound app. He said, "What happened at AshaKiran facility in Delhi is sheer callousness by the Delhi government. The fact that 14 kids with special needs died shows how corruption, lack of accountability has taken its toll on all aspects of life in Delhi."

“In 2013, following the then-Lieutenant Governor’s order, posts for 10 doctors, 249 nurses, and 62 ANMs were created at the facility. However, currently, there are only six doctors, 17 nursing staff, and 50 ANMs to take care of 1,000 inmates. The posts for multiple medical staff have also been lying vacant,” the official said. About 400 inmates could be kept in the facility, according to officials.

Following reports of deaths at the facility on Friday, Revenue Minister Atishi and Delhi L-G Saxena both questioned the kind of care provided and expressed concerns about the inmates' nutritional needs in separate sets of instructions.

Saxena was accused on Saturday by senior AAP leader and Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj of neglecting to suspend important Asha Kiran officials in spite of "serious corruption allegations," adding that "services" fell within the purview of the L-G's Office.

In addition, he said that the Delhi Legislative Assembly's Petition Committee, which is made up of particular AAP MLAs, had tried to look into the issue but had been "blocked by the Administration," which up until that point had been "neglecting the residents’ basic needs." L-G House officials argued that Social Welfare, which was in charge of the facility, was a "totally transferred subject" under both the chief minister of Delhi and the relevant ministry.

“Almost all the people living in this shelter are intellectually challenged… and often suffer from diseases… they are not able to take full care of their food and drink… in such a situation, it is very important that whoever is appointed here to take care of them, should have a spirit of service,” he said.  “What were the thoughts of the L-G in giving the responsibility of this centre to the current administrator…He is the same Rahul Agarwal who was arrested in 2016 in a bribery case…I want to ask L-G sahab – On what basis did you give the responsibility of its administration to this corrupt officer?” he asked.

In response to Bharadwaj's claim, representatives from L-G House stated that Social Welfare, "a fully and totally transferred subject" under the direction of the CM and Minister, "appointed internally" the administrator of the Asha Kiran Home.

“He was not appointed by L-G. He was of course posted to the Social Welfare Department being a DANICS officer on 15.02.2021, after approval of the then L-G. Thereafter, the Minister posted him as Administrator… The press statement issued by AAP is blatantly wrong and arrogantly misleading,” officials said.

Bharadwaj responded by accusing the L-G's office of lying. “The L-G office is lying. All transfers and postings are done by L-G or officers under L-G. No such file comes to ministers. L-G office should show the file where the Administrator of Asha Kiran shelter home was appointed by the Minister.”

L-G House officials responded to this by stating that since Raaj Kumar Anand left and joined the BJP, the Social Welfare Department has been without a Minister.

“CM Arvind Kejriwal even when out on bail, found time to accept his resignation and forward it to the L-G, but did not deem it to appoint a new Minister in a sensitive department that more than any other requires political oversight. And Saurabh Bharadwaj has the shameful audacity to talk of accountability?” officials asked.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Priyanka Pandey/MSM)