The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday said that the BJP-governed North Delhi Municipal Corporation was selling land under the Rajendra Babu Pulmonary Institute worth crores of rupees at a low price.
Referring to the North Delhi civic body Standing Committee meeting agenda of November 24, AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “When Delhi is always falling short of land for hospitals, the North Delhi corporation is auctioning 6,556 square metres of land under the Rajendra Babu Institute, which is a major TB hospital in the city.”
He alleged that the BJP is selling off the property to a private builder in order to make "quick money".
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"In Delhi where we constantly need land for more hospitals, this decision of the BJP-ruled MCD presents as a prime example of daylight robbery, that they are ready to even auction off hospital land," Mr. Bharadwaj said.
The AAP leader said that the Delhi Government has been after the municipal corporations for years to get land to build hospitals, especially to construct Mohalla Clinics, which the civic bodies have not been allowing.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said the North Delhi civic body was going through an “extreme financial crisis”.
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"Instead of issuing its accumulated pending funds of around ₹6,000 crores, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party are running a vicious campaign to politically malign it. North DMC has been forced to take the path of long leasing its properties to raise funds to meet its salary and development bills, but all deals are totally transparent and above Delhi Government specified circle rates," Mr. Kapoor said.
He said that the Delhi Government is free to order an inquiry into the matter.