BJP slams Kejriwal over ‘bogus’ registration of construction workers

The BJP alleged that 200,000 of a million of them the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board registered between 2018 and 2021 were fake

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday slammed chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for alleged corruption in the registration of construction workers, saying that 200,000 of a million of them the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board registered between 2018 and 2021 were fake.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. (HT PHOTO)

“This is the biggest corruption that has taken place in India’s history as far as the construction workers are concerned. Of the close to a million construction workers registered between 2018 and 2021, 200,000 have been found to be fake registrations prima facie in an investigation done based on the complaints of three NGOs working for construction workers. The investigation is going on,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a joint press conference with Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari.

Patra cited media reports and said 65,000 of the 200,000 have common mobile numbers, 15,750 have the same address in Delhi and 4,370 have a common permanent address. “Close to 13, 13,309 construction workers have been registered in Delhi since 2006.”

Patra said Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s intent and integrity are polluted and because of this Delhi is suffering from corruption.

Tiwari said genuine construction workers are suffering and deprived of welfare benefits. “They have adopted this modus operandi to use the funds meant for construction workers for their party activities. A few years back, they used ₹133 crore of the board’s funds for their party. How can 65,000 workers have the same mobile number?”

Patra accused labour minister Manish Sisodia, who is also among those named in the excise scam, and Kejriwal of using the board’s funds worth around ₹3000 crore to fund their party’s activities and making payments to their workers. “They have started a new structure to pay their party workers. Where did the money come from to pay their party workers or for elections?”

The BJP also slammed Kejriwal over deteriorating air quality and doing nothing to control the stubble burning in Punjab. Patra said Kejriwal would say a lot can be done to prevent stubble burning as the crop residue can be effectively utilised before coming to power in Punjab. “But now the AAP government is unable to control stubble burning. Of the 4,172 farm fires reported yesterday [Thursday], 3634 were in Punjab.”

Tiwari said Kejriwal is not bothered about the deteriorating air quality and is busy campaigning for elections. “Kejriwal should give a permanent chief minister to Delhi for the remaining tenure of his government who can work for the welfare of people.”