BJP urges LG to seek report on alleged non-utilisation of environment cess

New Delhi: Delhi BJP on Thursday lodged its protest with the Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on failure of the government in improving the environment in spite of having Rs 1,002 crore fund with it collected as Environment Cess.

Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari and Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta brought into the cognizance of Lieutenant Governor the fact that during the last 3 years there have many cases including the Schedule Caste Welfare Fund in which Government has misused the fund allocated for a particular purpose and hence there is possibility that the Environment Cess collected by the Government has also been diverted on other work.

The party leaders said that the people of Delhi were suffering due to heavy pollution during the last 10 days and in this situation the information that the Kejriwal Government did not take any scientific steps to improve the environment in Delhi in spite of having a fund of Rs. 1000 crores available with it, has shocked the people of Delhi.

BJP leaders said that similarly we must take into consideration the fact that a big factor of sever pollution in Delhi is the scarcity of public buses. During its initial phase Kejriwal Government wanted to privatize the public transport system and hence it did not take decision to purchase DTC buses as a result there are only 3500 public buses in Delhi whereas it needs 11,000 buses.

The party leaders requested the L-G to seek a report into non utilization or possible diversion of Rs. 1002 crores collected by it as Environment Cess from the Environment Department.