AAP, BJP spar over non-payment of MCD dues

NEW DELHI:  The war of words between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP continues over non-payment of salaries to MCD employees. 

On Friday, AAP leader Atishi said that the BJP is spreading misinformation on funds remaining with Delhi government even after Arvind Kejriwal decided to release crores of funds to pay salaries to staff. 

AAP spokesperson Atishi said, “Despite knowing that the BJP-ruled MCDs owe more than Rs 6,000 crore to the Kejriwal government, we have released `938 crore because we do not want MCD employees to suffer any more.”

She said the Kejriwal government has given loans to the MCDs several times during the last six years.

“Due to rampant corruption by the BJP, the MCD has no money to pay salaries to their employees. The report card of MCD is corruption in the name of cleaning landfill, collection of house tax or parking tax, failure in sanitation work and in the primary education system,” Atishi said.

However, BJP says that AAP government is playing politics over the issue. Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the AAP government owes Rs 13,000 crore to the three corporations and must release the funds instead of doing politics over it. On Thursday, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia used derogatory language for MCD leaders while today during the press conference on municipal workers strike, AAP MLAs Rakhi Birla and Kuldeep Kumar have tried to provoke a particular community, Kapoor said. The BJP spokesperson said it will be better if the AAP government realises that it owes Rs 13,000 crore to the MCDs as per the third, fourth and fifth Delhi Finance Commission’s recommendations.

AAP leader and MLA Kuldeep Kumar claimed that due to the “anti-Dalit mindset” of BJP, it harasses members of the backward community and does not even pay their salaries. The AAP has always supported Dalits, he said.  Recently, all the health workers working for North Delhi Municipal Corporation were on strike over the issue.

Recently all the health workers working for North Delhi Municipal Corporation were on strike during the peak of pandemic, Delhi government slammed the BJP ruling the North MCD for the financial mess. Patients from Bara Hindu Rao hospital had to be shifted to Delhi government run hospitals because hospitals staff went on complete strike for many days. 

“It will be better if AAP sheds its cheap politics and releases due funds of the municipal corporation as per the 3rd, 4th and 5th Delhi Finance Commission’s recommendations which amount to around Rs 13000 crores” said Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor hitting back at AAP.

AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar and chairman of the Schedule Caste wing of the party said that people of Dalit community and the sanitation workers of Delhi have expressed their utmost gratitude and sincere thanks to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for standing beside them by releasing fund to the BJP ruled MCD.