AAP MLA and MCD In-charge Durgesh Pathak The Aam Aadmi Party Saturday alleged a Rs 84 crore scam in the collection of garbage at the Bhalswa landfill site. The BJP-led MCD is responsible for all sanitation-related work, including garbage collection.
AAP MLA and MCD In-charge Durgesh Pathak said Saturday that BJP gave a tender to a private company to collect garbage at the Bhalswa landfill at the rate of Rs 3,250 per metric tonne but gave the same tender to another company at the rate of Rs 400 per metric tonne when the tender of the previous company was cancelled, as per change in rules.
“In February 2020, BJP-ruled MCD had awarded a tender to a private company to collect garbage at the Bhalswa Landfill at the rate of Rs 3,250 per metric tonne. As per the new rules the company was supposed to install GPS in its trucks, which it refused, leading to the cancellation of the tender. Another company was awarded the tender at the collection rate of just Rs 400 per metric tonne. The previous company had already processed 3 lac tonnes of garbage, meaning there has been a scam of Rs 84 crores. When the tender could have been awarded at Rs 400 per metric tonne, then why was it awarded at the rate of Rs 3,250 in the first instance? This scam couldn’t have been possible without the collusion of the BJP and its leaders. The Aam Aadmi Party demands a thorough investigation in the matter,” said Pathak.
“BJP leaders should be questioned and an FIR should be registered against them. It should be brought to light as to how they pulled off a scam of 84 crore rupees,” he demanded.
Responding to Pathak’s allegations, Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that the sand generated after garbage disposal is transported to highway project sites and the contractor is paid at per metric ton rates as per distance to the sand disposal highway site.
Kapoor said that either Aam Aadmi Party leaders including Durgesh Pathak were either “illiterate or were spreading lies”.
“This payment has nothing to do with GPS installation. Actually, MCD added this condition just to ensure that sand reaches the correct spot. It was North DMC which acted tough on the then contractor. In 2020 the trucks had to travel a very long distance to highway project sites and so the rates were higher and now they are transporting to nearby sites so rates have come down steeply,” Kapoor said.