AAP alleges north MCD awarded school tender to ‘fake NGO’

Addressing a press conference, AAP leader Durgesh Pathak on Sunday said that while the NGO in question was registered in Ashok Vihar, there’s no office or any related official at the given address.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Durgesh Pathak on Sunday claimed the North Delhi Municipal Corporation awarded a tender for the upkeep work of a school to a non-existent NGO, an allegation the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) denied.

AAP's Durgesh Pathak addressed a press conference (Twitter/@AAPDelhi)

“The NGO in question was registered in Ashok Vihar, but there’s no office or any related official at the location. MCDs usually award tenders to NGOs for various work, but NGOs themselves are responsible for gathering funds for the work,” Pathak said.

Claiming it was “innovative” corruption, Pathak said many duties in MCD schools are assigned to NGOs such as converting classrooms to smart ones, preparing grounds and fields, or other general work. “The NGOs concerned collect funds via CSR (corporate social responsibility) and donations on their own. But now the BJP has put out a proper order directing MCD officials to go to every trader, every industrialist and any other person they can find to get money in the name of donations for these NGOs. In April, they circulated an entire list of NGOs by region with their bank account details. I am certain this is the first instance of such brazen corruption. The BJP has put government officials on the job of collecting funds for their loot. These NGOs were first awarded tenders for various works then government officials were asked to collect funds for them,” Pathak alleged.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor termed the allegations baseless. “The NGO AAP has levelled these baseless allegations against is a reputed NGO. Several educationists are connected with it. It has provided smart classrooms in several schools in north Delhi. Had Durgesh Pathak read the document well, he would have understood that collecting funds is part of a collaboration project between the North MCD and the NGO to install smart classrooms in 70 schools across north Delhi. It is natural that for a collaboration project, officials of both the NGO and North MCD can collect funds through cheques. AAP leaders are in the habit of making baseless allegations to tarnish the image of MCDs,” said Kapoor.