AAP alleges irregularites to the tune of ₹100 crore in MCDs, BJP denies

While the AAP is in charge of the Delhi government, the BJP rules the three municipal corporations. Delhi goes to the municipal polls next year.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of corruption in the municipal corporations in Delhi (MCDs) and alleged financial irregularities to the tune of ₹100 crore, a charge which the latter denied as “baseless”.

AAP’s chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said violating a Supreme Court order, the BJP allowed private companies to earn over ₹100 crores through gantry and flyover panel advertisements

“The BJP has done an advertisement boarding scam of ₹100 crore in the MCDs. They bypassed rules to ensure that certain private company benefitted in crores. Violating a Supreme Court order, the BJP allowed private companies to earn over ₹100 crores through gantry and flyover panel advertisements,” said AAP’s chief spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj in a press conference in Delhi.

He further said, “The ₹100 crore should have come to the MCD but it went to a private company. The Supreme Court banned gantry and flyover panel advertisements as it distract drivers’ attention. Many accidents have happened due to them. Accidents have increased on the DND flyway due to illegal advertisements. Many people died due to corruption of BJP leaders.”

While the AAP is in charge of the Delhi government, the BJP rules the three municipal corporations. Delhi goes to the municipal polls next year.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the city government is also using the same contractor. “Bhardwaj has once again levelled baseless allegations which are just intended to malign the image of the MCD. Today Bhardwaj has tried to say that illegal advertising is being done by private contractors on DND flyway and accused MCD officials of illegally pocketing money out of them, cleverly ignoring the fact that even the Delhi government is advertising on the Delhi-Noida road, meaning Delhi government too is using the same private contractor. If Bhardwaj says that MCD officials are pocketing money from the advertising contractor, then he should clarify whether the Delhi government officials too are getting kickbacks from illegal advertising payments. It will be better if AAP leaders, instead of maligning MCDs with frivolous allegations, ask their chief minister to release pending municipal funds as per 4th & 5th Delhi Financial Commission for period between 2015 to 2021.”