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Govt alleges Rs 2,400 crore scam in North civic body
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — which rules all three municipal corporations in Delhi (MCD) — immediately denied the allegations, calling them “politically biased”.
Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi urban development minister Satyendar Jain on Friday accused the north Delhi municipal corporation of misappropriation of funds to the tune of more than Rs 2,400 crore and said that the Delhi government had initiated a probe into it.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — which rules all three municipal corporations in Delhi (MCD) — immediately denied the allegations, calling them “politically biased”.
“There has been misappropriation of funds to the tune of more than Rs 2,400 crore in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. It concerns payments between the north and south Delhi municipal corporations. We have ordered a probe into it which will be headed by an additional chief secretary-rank officer in charge of the urban development department of the Delhi government,” said Jain, who holds the health, home and urban development portfolios in Delhi government.
He further said, “Rs 2,400 crore is a big amount and such misappropriation is unbelievable, especially when the municipal corporations claim that they are not being able to pay salaries to doctors, nurses, teachers, sanitation workers and other employees.”
Jain’s allegations and the probe comes at a time when mayors of the three civic bodies have been protesting outside the residence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for more than three days to demand disbursement of funds which they claim the Delhi government owes the civic bodies.
When asked about claims by the three municipal corporations that the Delhi government owes them ₹13,500 crore, Jain said that the Delhi government has always disbursed payments to the MCDs on time, with no instance of default or delay, in accordance with the applicable finance commission report, and it is the MCDs which owe money to the Delhi government.
North corporation mayor Jai Prakash, however, said, “This is nothing but a diversionary tactics by the government to not release our dues. There is no misappropriation of funds. The ₹2400 crore Jain is referring to is related to the rent of civic centre to be paid by the south corporation. The matter is being discussed by the two corporations. The south corporation has also facing issues related to fund. How will they pay if the government has not cleared their dues.”
All the three municipal corporations are facing a crippling financial crunch with North corporation and the East civic body not being able to pay regular salaries to their staff. This has led to protests by municipal, engineers, doctors and other staff.
The BJP’s Delhi unit spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said, “These are politically biased statements. It is shocking that even after being in power for six years, Satyendar Jain does not know that in MCDs the commissioner independently brings the budget before the standing committee and it is up to the elected councillors to accept his proposals or reject them.”
“The minister’s statement that Delhi government has no fund dues towards MCDs reflects the frustration of Kejriwal government due to public pressure building on it since the mayors have been sitting on a dharna demanding funds outside the CM’s residence,” Kapoor said.
On Thursday, a group of BJP supporters had barged into the house of deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, breaching the police cordon. The BJP workers claimed that they were angry over threats to the MCD mayors allegedly made by AAP leaders. The AAP, however, rejected the alleged video clip, in which the purported threat is being made, as doctored.