The Delhi Congress on Wednesday demanded a forensic audit of the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi by a sitting Delhi High Court judge to look into why they are perennially short of funds despite having several sources of income. The party hit out not only at the three BJP-ruled civic bodies but also at the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government for allegedly not providing funds to the corporations.
Leader of the Congress party in the South body, Abhishek Dutt, demanded a forensic audit of the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporations of Delhi by a sitting Delhi High Court judge.
Fixing accountability
“If a forensic audit is held, then accountability can be fixed for the reasons of the disappearance/leakage of the funds, leaving the civic bodies cash-starved, unable to pay the salaries of its employees, including doctors, nurses, paramedics, sanitation workers even during the pandemic times,” Mr. Dutt said.
He alleged that the three Mayors and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were playing a preconceived ‘drama’ to divert people’s attention from the farmers’ dharna on the Delhi borders. He alleged that the political stunt by the BJP and AAP has paralysed the working of the corporations and the Delhi government with nothing happening.
Congress leader in the North civic body, Mukesh Goel, said that if the Kejriwal government had followed the Congress government’s pattern of 12.46% fund allocation in 2013-14 for development works, then the three civic bodies should have got ₹4,563 crore from the Delhi government. He said it was strange that the BJP Mayors were protesting against non-allocation of funds for paying the salaries of employees, under pressure from the employees, despite the fact that the Kejriwal government has also withheld funds for development works.
