AAP says DDA holding back MCD money, blames Centre

Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday said the “infighting” between the central government departments and MCDs is responsible for Delhi’s civic mess, as it made allegations that the DDA owes 1,550 crore to the cash-strapped civic bodies.

The allegation comes a day after a section of the MCD sanitation workers went on a strike over their “long-pending” demand for timely salary. The party said the Delhi Development Authority has not paid money it collected as property tax on behalf of the BJP-ruled municipal corporations.

“The central government-controlled DDA owes Rs 1,550 crore to the three MCDs, which is one of the major reasons apart from financial corruption in the MCDs for their grave financial crisis,” a statement issued by the AAP said.

It added that the BJP-led central government is creating hurdles in the transfer of this amount to the MCDs. Calling it a ploy to defame the Delhi government, the AAP said the striking workers are being “provoked” by the BJP.

“This conspiracy was hatched following BJP’s unsuccessful attempts to spread falsehoods about Delhi government not having released adequate funds to the MCDs, but facts have exposed the BJP,” the party said.

It also claimed that the MCDs have an outstanding loan of Rs 5,908 crore, which they owe to the Delhi government.

In its attempt to put the ball in Centre’s court, the ruling party said, “The AAP government has already made it clear that it will not insist on either repayment or even part repayment of this loan for the current financial year, given the precarious MCD condition.”

On Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had listed out the details of the figures of the amount released to the civic bodies till October 15. He had said the AAP government has released much more than what the Centre – running Delhi through Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung – did in the corresponding period last year.