AAP, BJP lock horns over councillor funds again

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday again accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led municipal corporations in Delhi (MCD) of corruption in the garb of increasing councillor funds, which are meant for development schemes, at a time when the civic agencies are struggling to pay salary to their employees.

The BJP dismissed the allegation calling it “propaganda” against the MCDs.

“The BJP-led MCDs do not have money to pay salaries, yet the north MCD has the audacity to increase councillor funds from ₹25 lakhs to ₹1.50 crore. In the name of development schemes, they will let private players set up shops and nurseries in parks and the councillors will decide on such permits. That opens ups more room for corruption. The BJP-led MCDs are implementing every scheme of loot in Delhi before their tenure ends,” said the AAP’s chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj.

While the AAP is in charge of the Delhi government, the BJP rules the three municipal corporations.

The next municipal polls in Delhi are due in 2022.

Delhi BJP’s spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said, “Instead of investing on governance, the AAP is investing only on propaganda against the MCDs. Bhardwaj’s claim is one such case. The new schemes of the north municipal body are fully transparent and there is no room for any corruption in them. As far as increasing councillor’s funds are concerned, it was necessary because the amount of development work done by MCD councillors have increased. They are the ones entertaining and implementing local level demands, suggestions and recommendations of residents and welfare bodies.”