NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party functionary Durgesh Pathak said that BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation has waived Rs 2,457 crore, which South Delhi Municipal Corporation was supposed to pay it as the rent for office space.
“The employees of the corporations were not getting their salary for the last several months and they were forced to protest. Doctors, nurses, sanitation workers, teachers among others were not getting any salary and BJP diverted the attention when questions were asked about it and avoided giving answers. This situation is not new, and it has happened because of the corruption, incompetence and financial mismanagement of the corporations by BJP,” Pathak said in a press conference on Wednesday.
“The south corporation owes around Rs 2,457 crore to the north corporation. Last year’s budget document notes that the north corporation should get this amount from the south corporation,” he added.
“Yesterday, the north corporation presented the budget. It is unfortunate that in this document, there is no mention of this huge amount, which is due. The two corporations have cheated the people of Delhi by manipulating this pending amount,” Pathak said.
The AAP functionary stated that if south corporation paid this due money, the north corporation would not face any kind of financial issues for one year and all the salaries of the employees could be cleared.
Pathak wanted to know how the north corporation could waive this money. “When AAP comes to the power in the corporations, an investigation will take place on this matter. Each and every official who is involved in such a criminal act will be punished,” Pathak said adding that waiving off the dues is criminal.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor termed AAP’s charges baseless. “Only an anarchist like AAP’s Durgesh Pathak can see corruption in such a settlement and raise frivolous allegations. Delhi government is starving the municipal corporations of funds. The due rent figure was just adding up figures in balance sheets without realisation of a penny,” Kapoor said.
“The south corporation was seeking the waiver for a long time.”