AAP, BJP spar over MCD functioning

The BJP-ruled MCDs have to take Rs 18,000 crore from the central government and must return Rs 8,500 crore to Delhi government,” said AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led municipal corporations of Delhi (MCD) over the issue of financial debts and their inability to pay salaries to doctors, which led to recent strikes by healthcare workers in the city.

NDMC Mayor Jay Prakash speaks to striking doctors of Hindu Rao Hospital who are sitting on protest over the non-payment of salaries on Tuesday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

“The BJP has put a massive burden of debts on the residents of Delhi. They cannot even pay salaries to doctors. The BJP-ruled MCDs have to take Rs 18,000 crore from the central government and must return Rs 8,500 crore to Delhi government,” said AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj.

He said, “The MCDs have sealed Delhi’s big markets and illegally taken conversion fee and parking charges, yet shops are sealed, shopkeepers are devastated. They should hand over the charge of the civic agencies to the AAP. We can operate them with a surplus budget.”

The Delhi BJP’s spokesperson said, “In 1994, the BJP has run Delhi government with a surplus budget. There is no debt burden on Delhi residents due to the MCDs. The sealing in a few markets faced by traders is due to failure of the Kejriwal government in terms of failure to issue appropriate notifications in the right time.”