NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation has initiated a probe into Aam Aadmi Party ’s ambitious Mohalla Clinics project , which was last year lauded by former Secretary General of the United Nations – Kofi Annan , for alleged irregularities in running the project.

CBI sources said that a preliminary enquiry (PE), precursor to an FIR, has been registered in the matter and a Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and some Doctors incharge have already been questioned in last couple of days.

Aimed at providing free primary healthcare to poor, Delhi government is presently operating 165 Mohalla Clinics at different locations in Delhi. It had announced earlier that 1,000 Mohalla Clinics would be established across Delhi.

Sources said that the PE has been registered based on a recommendation by former Lt Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung to the agency. Jung had once rejected the Mohalla Clinics project in 2016 saying running these clinics from government schools saying it was illegal to use school premises for any other purpose.

Delhi’s health minister Satyendar Jain, who is already being probed for corruption and money laundering, may come under CBI scanner in the Mohalla Clinics matter.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Sunday alleged that CBI had taken away 3 lakh documents related to patients and prescriptions.

The agency officially, on Monday, denied this.

In a series of tweets, Kejriwal had said that, "Now, CBI starts investigating moh clinics-takes 3 lac pages incl all patients prescriptions. All CDMOs, 2 Addl Dirs, Project Dir, Addl secy, OSD to Dir n many other officers summoned (sic)..," Kejriwal tweeted.

He had also attacked PM Narendra Modi tweeting, “Modi ji, instead of closing Delhi's mohalla clinics, open mohalla clinics across the country."

In another tweet, Kejriwal alleged, "Del govt has spent Rs 3 lacs to get these pages photocpied. Spl permission was taken by officers for this money.

"I challenge Modi ji if these Rs 3 lacs photocopying charges and CBI officers' salary cud be recovered out of this investigation (sic)."

