The Delhi BJP on Monday demanded that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government clear the “huge liability” which existed, and continues to exist, at the time of trifurcation of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), as mandated by its own Cabinet of Ministers.
“The non-honouring of the decision to release liability of ₹2,789 crore is depriving more than two crore residents, under the jurisdiction of the three local bodies, of their rightful claim,” claimed Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta.
Speaking at the Civic Centre on the occasion of the election of the chairman, standing committee, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, Mr. Gupta alleged that the pending financial liability was a clear violation of “Cabinet Decision No. 5 of the GNCTD dated March 16, 2012, which made it binding upon the government to clear it”.
“It is hampering important works being performed by the north, east and south civic bodies pertaining to sanitation, waste management, malaria and dengue control and healthcare,” Mr. Gupta said.
The BJP leader said that the Cabinet had made the decision to “wipe out all liabilities of the MCD” as a prerequisite to the three corporations being constituted.
‘Special grants’
He alleged that the Cabinet had further directed that “the Delhi government may sanction special grants to liquidate these past liabilities”.
“Unfortunately, the Delhi government did not fulfil its obligations. Consequently, the corporations are facing huge financial problems till date. The Delhi government owes the north civic body ₹1,090.78 crore,” said the legislator from Rohini.
“It is unfortunate that the Delhi government has released no special grants till date to wipe out these liabilities,” he said.
The gravity of the impact of the financial denial by the Delhi government, he argued, could be gauged from the fact that during 2017-18, these sectors received an allocation of ₹1,228.42 crore.
“In place of increasing the allocation this year, the government reduced it to zero out of political ill-will,” he alleged.