Arvind Kejriwal inaugurates night clinic in Velim; targets BJP demands 24 hrs power supply instead of forcing smart meters on public

Goa Khabar : AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal today inaugurated the third Aamche Arogya Polyclinic — Night Clinic in Velim, a people-centric healthcare initiative committed to providing accessible medical services to every citizen of the constituency. The inauguration took place in the presence of Goa Incharge Atishi, AAP Goa President Valmiki Naik, Velim MLA Engr. Cruz Silva, Working President Gerson Gomes , Sr VP Sandesh Teleikar Dessai, Organisation Secretary Prashant Naik, VP Roque Mascarenhas and party leaders. AAP leaders paid heartfelt condolences and observed a moment of silence in memory of the late Dr. Ketan Bhatikar at the inauguration.

The night clinic, located next to IDBI Bank, Palmer Grande, Chinchinim, will be open Monday to Saturday from 7 PM to 7 AM — serving the people of Velim through the night when healthcare access is most critical.

Addressing the gathering, Kejriwal highlighted that out of 40 MLAs in Goa, only two — MLA Cruz Silva and MLA Venzy Viegas — have taken the initiative to start Aamche Arogya Polyclinics for the people who elected them. He said this reflects the fundamental difference between an AAP representative and the rest. Kejriwal praised Cruz Silva not just as a committed MLA, but as a genuinely good human being who has consistently put the people of Velim above politics.

Kejriwal said that despite being in opposition and facing constant pressure from the BJP government, Cruz Silva has never defected and has never stopped working — and this is the kind of representative Goa deserves.

Kejriwal criticised the BJP government’s push to install smart meters despite strong public opposition, stating that instead of ensuring 24-hour electricity to the people, the BJP is focused on surveillance. He said the BJP has reached a point where it no longer needs the people’s votes, calling it a direct assault on democracy.
Announcing AAP’s vision for Goa, Kejriwal made three guarantees to the people:

• Free 300 units of electricity per month for every household
• Health insurance cover of ₹10 lakh for every family in Goa
• ₹1,000 per month for every woman in the family

AAP Goa President Valmiki Naik stated that the inauguration of the third Aamche Arogya Polyclinic is proof that AAP’s model of governance is not just a promise made during elections — it is a reality being delivered on the ground, even from the opposition benches. He said that while other MLAs across Goa have failed to serve the people who elected them, AAP’s representatives have led by example. Naik reiterated that when AAP forms the government in Goa, this model of accessible, people-first healthcare will be extended to every corner of the state.

MLA Cruz Silva, speaking at the inauguration, said that for years he received requests from residents for a doctor at night. He explored every possible avenue with the government to set up an emergency healthcare centre — and was turned away every time. He even offered to construct the entire clinic himself, asking only for a doctor to be provided — yet the government failed to respond. Today’s inauguration is the answer the people of Velim built for themselves.

Cruz Silva outlined the work undertaken across Velim during his tenure, all funded from his own MLA salary:

• Power infrastructure: Upgrading and replacing transformers and completing underground cabling pending for over 15 years
• Water pipelines: Repair and replacement of 30 to 40 year old neglected water pipelines across the constituency
• Agriculture: Bringing 3.5 lakh square metres of barren land back into cultivation
• Healthcare: Free ambulance service for residents and over 100 free cataract operations completed
  Cruz Silva said he has not indulged in blame games or politics — only served the people of Velim. He expressed confidence that this work will bring him back as MLA in 2027.

AAP Working President Gerson Gomes said that when AAP campaigned in 2022, the party presented a clear health model to the people of Goa. Today, despite being in opposition, AAP has shown the people of Velim — and all of Goa — that this is not just an electoral promise but AAP’s true model of governance. He appealed to the people of Goa to give AAP their blessing so that this model of healthcare and service can be replicated across every constituency in the state.