SDMC now handing over heritage buildings to pvt players, says AAP's Atishi

New Delhi: Ahead of the civic polls in Delhi, the AAP on Wednesday upped the ante against the BJP and accused it of preparing to lease out heritage buildings in the national capital to private players for undue gains. The first in the line is a heritage building in Mehrauli which falls under the jurisdiction of the BJP-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation, AAP leader Atishi said at a press conference.

The SDMC in its agenda for the next meeting of its standing committee has proposed to auction this 250-square metres heritage building, she said and slammed the BJP over the move asking it to handover all the heritage buildings to AAP's Delhi government for their upkeep and maintenance if it was not able to take care of them.

There was no immediate reaction from the BJP on the AAP's accusations. BJP-ruled South MCD is now shamelessly going to sell historic buildings of Delhi to private mafia. South MCD has put on the agenda for its upcoming standing committee meeting that they will now sell or lease out Delhi's heritage properties to private owners, Atishi said.

The first of these structures (proposed to be auctioned) is a 250-square metre heritage building in Mehrauli, she added. The AAP leader alleged that the SDMC's proposal to lease out the heritage building to private players through an auction is aimed at filling their (BJP leaders) pockets.

We want to tell the SDMC that if it is unable to maintain Delhi's heritage buildings, it should hand over them to the Delhi government, she said.

The Delhi government's department of archaeology and tourism will take care of the upkeep and maintenance of these heritage buildings, and utilise them in boosting tourism in the city, Atishi said.