BJP councillors march to Delhi Secretariat over their dues

New Delhi

Around 200 BJP councillors took out a protest march from the Civic Centre to the Delhi Secretariat on Friday morning, demanding the AAP government to clear dues totaling Rs. 9,195 crore.

Leader of House of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Tilak Raj Kataria, said the AAP government was yet to pay the civic body Rs. 3649.48 crore under various heads. “This is hampering several development,” he said.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) standing committee chairman, Bhupender Gupta, said the Delhi government owes about R 1,500 crore to the civic body with regard to implementation of the recommendations of the Fourth Finance Commission.

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) said the government has to pay them Rs 2,900 crore. “We are tired of writing letters to the chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, and his cabinet members,” said Sandeep Kapoor, standing committee chairman of EDMC.

Kataria said the councillors handed over a joint memorandum to the CM’s secretary as they were told that he was not present in his office at that time.

A Delhi government spokesperson rubbished the councilors’ claims and said, “They have been making claims regarding funds for a decade now. They have been to various courts and received no relief. This is because there is no legal evidence which shows that we have any dues.”