MCD spent funds for education on flowers, furniture

It was meant for educating children but they spent it on cushy furniture and laptops, instead. Funds running into crores of rupees, meant for the education of children, were allegedly spent by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to cover various expenses, ranging from buying flowers to paying salaries to their employees.

It was meant for educating children but they spent it on cushy furniture and laptops, instead. Funds running into crores of rupees, meant for the education of children, were allegedly spent by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to cover various expenses, ranging from buying flowers to paying salaries to their employees.

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On Monday, the opposition Congress at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party for misusing funds meant for education.

Farhad Suri, Congress councillor presented a list of expenses made from the funds. It includes money spent on buying flowers to decorate tables in Rohini zone.

"Education grant amounting to about Rs500 crore, under the education head XL-VII, was given by the Delhi Government to MCD to spend on building more schools, installing water tanks and arrangements for fire safety. But most of it was spent on other things," Suri said.

The councillor claims that eight cases of mismanagement of funds have come to light. It includes R14 lakh on building staff quarters in Seelampur and paying salaries to MCD staff.

The civic agency receives education grant in installments from the Delhi government. For the current fiscal year, MCD commissioner KS Mehra had said the MCD would be receiving Rs530 crore.

However, in January, the MCD Standing Committee had said that it would add another Rs570 crore to the amount.

Suri said there is no way MCD can spend that money by March 31, when the current financial year ends.

"Several crores have been mismanaged in this manner. MCD has not spent money on new school buildings or on connecting schools through Internet, as promised."