Private company was supposed to set up recycling and composting plants; MCD had made payments after tender process but BJP leaders squandered all the money: Atishi
Where did the ₹1,260 disbursement and loan of ₹1,940 MCD got from Kejriwal Government go?: Atishi
BJP’s flagrant corruption is the reason that the MCD has no proper waste management system in place: Atishi
All that BJP-ruled MCD has done in the past 15 years is created the Qutub Minar-like Ghazipur landfill with 140 lac tonnes of waste: Atishi
Public has taken note of all of BJP’s misdeeds; now that PM Modi himself is accountable for BJP-led MCD’s corruption, people are demanding answers from him: Atishi
NEW DELHI:
Speaking out against another one of BJP’s corruption ploys, AAP Senior Leader and MLA Ms Atishi stated – the BJP-ruled East MCD gobbled money in the name of waste management. It scammed crores in connivance with a private company and is now asking the Kejriwal Government for funds. The private company was supposed to set up recycling plants, and the MCD had made due payments. However, the BJP leaders ended up squandering all the money. The BJP must answer as to where the ₹1,260 disbursement and loan of ₹1,940 MCD got from the Kejriwal Government went. It is BJP’s flagrant corruption due to which the MCD has no proper waste management system in place. All that the BJP-ruled MCD has done in the past 15 years is create the Qutub Minar-like Ghazipur landfill with 140 lac tonnes of waste. The public of Delhi has taken serious note of all of BJP’s misdeeds. Now that PM Modi himself is accountable for BJP-led MCD’s corruption, people are demanding answers from him.
MLA Ms Atishi said, “Among the essential responsibilities of the MCD comes Solid Waste Management. The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, in fact, says that it is an ‘obligatory function’ of the civic body. Thus, the MCD in whatever way you proceed is bound to look after the solid waste of Delhi as well as ensure proper sanitation and hygiene across the capital. But, as we all know, the MCD is ruled upon by the BJP and the ‘obligatory function’ they have obliged themselves with is creating three magnanimous mountains of garbage and filth. These mountains are what someone coming to Delhi sees as they step into the state. They stand tall as testaments of BJP’s misgovernance for fifteen long years. For the last one month, the Ghazipur landfill catches fire every week. Two huge fires have been reported there in the last 15 days. This fire breakout is not ordinary. It releases hazardous and toxic fumes that penetrate into every household of East Delhi and severely affect the people living there, physically and mentally. Who in the BJP will come forward and take responsibility for this 140 lac tonne landfill that stands as tall at the Qutub Minar? It is because of their negligence and lack of management that this landfill keeps growing everyday.”
She continued, “Taking cognisance of the matter, the Environment Committee of the Delhi Legislative Assembly summoned all East MCD officials to understand what plan they have to reduce the amount of garbage at the landfill and how they will manage the garbage coming in every day. MCD officials accepted that they have no time bound plan to deal with the landfill, and neither have the money nor the ability to take care of it. We want to know where all the funds went. The East MCD has now come with a bowl to all the MLAs of East Delhi. They’ve written a letter to all the MLAs asking for MLA-LAD funds to set up decentralised recycling centres to avoid piling up at the landfill. They have said that due to the lack of funds they are unable to do it on their own. It seems like the MCD has woken up after 15 years only to say that we don’t have funds for fulfilling our own job.”
The MLA further said, “On the contrary, the Delhi Government has been continuously increasing the funds it is releasing to the MCD each year. In 2013-14 they were paid 146 crores, in 2014-15 163 crores during the President’s Rule period, then the Kejriwal Government came in and increased the amount to 1,207 crore rupees. The story doesn’t end there, the Delhi Government has been time and again issuing loans to the East MCD. Of which the East MCD has to pay back 1,940 crores along with interest to the Delhi Government. Where did all this money go? When the MCD has been getting funds for one purpose then what need arises for the MCD to ask for funds citing a lack of funds for the same purpose? The East MCD is bankrupt today because BJP leaders have looted every single penny from its funds.”
She added, “MCD earns huge sums from property tax, parking, advertising and the disbursement and loans given by Delhi Government. Yet the BJP ruled MCD fails to even try solving the problem of the Ghazipur landfill and instead develops a site equalling the height of the Qutub Minar. All of this has polluted the water in the area and put lives of residents at risk but still the BJP leaders continue to gobble funds meant for its solutions. It has further been revealed that BJP is working in connivance with all the companies on-boarded by the East MCD for various works. For instance, the company which bagged the tender for the door-to-door garbage collection by the East MCD was itself supposed to develop recycling centres. The tender document clearly states this. It clearly mentions that they have to not just handle the dry waste but also develop decentralised compost plants for wet waste. Why does the East MCD now want funds for these centres when the tender asked the company to take care of it? Why are they asking for funds when the private company has already been paid for it?”
She concluded, “the BJP first gobbles up bribes while awarding tenders, then when pressure is built up on the MCD by Vidhan Sabha’s Environment Committee, they turn to the MLAs and the Government with begging bowls? The private company is not ready to develop the recycling plants and composters because they spent all their money on BJP leaders. So the MCD and the BJP leaders have turned to the Delhi Government thinking they’d be able to loot them again during their final days in the corporation. I want to tell the BJP — the people of Delhi have seen all your ill deeds, they’ve seen your corruption, and they will kick you out of power as soon as elections are held. It is because of this fear that MCD elections have been postponed by the BJP’s union government. But, now that PM Modi will run the MCD himself, he must present his plan to tackle corruption in the civic body. PM Modi and Amit Shah must order an investigation as to how a company was paid for the job yet the MCD is asking for funds to do it.”