: The Delhi BJP and the city’s three mayors have announced that the civic bodies will file a contempt petition against the AAP government for failing to release funds and complying with the orders of the Delhi High Court related to the implementation of Fourth Finance Commission.
Slamming a statement issued by the Delhi government where it questioned the three civic bodies for not getting the Fourth Finance Commission recommendations implemented during President’s rule, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay asserted that the same could be tabled in the House only by a State government and not by the Lieutenant Governor or the President. “The municipal corporations were not party to the case in which present orders have been issued by the Delhi High Court and we shall like to apprise Delhi government that the leader of the SDMC House, Radhe Shyam Sharma, had filed a PIL complaining of funds not being released,” he said.
Mayors Subhash Arya, Harsh Malhotra and Ravindra Gupta said that the Kejriwal government is responsible for the inconvenience caused to the people of Delhi due to collapse of municipal services.
“How can we perform the duties expected from us in 2016 with funds of the 2011. During this period, the revenue of the Delhi government and its income from the Central funds have doubled, but it is regrettable that due to political malice, the Delhi government is not ready to increase our funds,” said. Mr Arya.
They also presented copies of letters sent by the municipal commissioners according to which the Delhi government has to release about Rs. 3,000 crore under various heads to the civic bodies under the Third Finance Commission. Mr Upadhyay said that the recommendations of Third Finance Commission, which were implemented w.e.f. April 1, 2008 were only for the period ending March 31, 2011.
“The then Sheila Dikshit government delayed the formation of Fourth Finance Commission to 2011 and she released funds to the corporations in 2011-12 on the basis of Third Finance Commission. By the end of 2011-12, the recommendations of the Fourth Finance Commission were submitted, but the dikshit Government did not table it before the House and after that the 49-day Kejriwal government in 2013-14 also failed to table the recommendations before the House,” he explained.
“The North MCD has to be paid Rs. 800 crores on account of municipal reforms and Rs 80 crore on account of family planning clinics,” said Ravindra Gupta, mayor, NDMC.
