The Supreme Court on Thursday called for a definitive resolution to the ongoing disputes between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor (LG) over the funding of the ‘Farishtey Dilli Ke’ scheme, which provides free medical treatment to road accident victims in the city.
The directive came as the apex court was informed that the funds for the scheme had finally been released, following a petition by the Delhi government seeking to reactivate the scheme by addressing pending payments to private hospitals and taking action against officials allegedly responsible for its operational disruption.
Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan presided over the case, expressing relief upon hearing that the funds had been disbursed. The bench noted, “We don’t understand this. One wing of the government is fighting with another wing of the government,” reflecting on the internal conflicts that had previously hindered the scheme’s success.
Senior advocate Shadan Farasat, representing the Delhi government, informed the court that with the release of funds following the Supreme Court’s notice in December 2023, the government no longer wished to press the petition. Consequently, the court disposed of the plea, satisfied with the resolution of the funding issue.
The ‘Farishtey Dilli Ke’ scheme is designed to encourage public involvement in rescuing road accident victims, with the government covering hospital bills to ensure prompt and free medical care. Despite its humanitarian objectives, the scheme faced significant hurdles due to administrative disputes that led to a de facto suspension as hospitals became reluctant to accept accident victims without assurance of payment.
The plea had accused certain health department officials of sabotage through inaction and mismanagement, detailing how non-payment had rendered the scheme ineffective for over a year. This had prompted the Supreme Court’s intervention, seeking responses from the office of the Lieutenant Governor and other parties involved.
