MCD statements show unspent funds, negate payment delay claims

The Delhi government on Tuesday claimed that the delay in <g data-gr-id="23">release</g> of funds for prevention of dengue to the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi is an incorrect report. “The government wants to set the record straight and makes it clear that such reports are factually incorrect,” said an official.

The release of funds to the local bodies is a continuous and regular process. An amount of Rs 13.69 crore is lying with the three MCDs as unspent balance from the last financial year under the Malaria & Dengue control programme. As per a South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) statement released on September 9, it has been shown that Rs 3.59 crore was <g data-gr-id="24">unspent</g> balance from last year, the government sources informed.

The SDMC spent Rs 4.59 crore under the Malaria & Dengue control programme till August 2015. Hence, it is clear that the unspent money was available with the SDMC to take precautionary measures for prevention of dengue. 

Further, Rs 7.32 crore was unspent balance with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation as on March 27. 

Likewise, an unspent amount of Rs 2.97 crore was available with the East Delhi Municipal Corporation, as on March 26, said an official in the government.

Thus, the Corporations had unspent funds available with them which were released in the last quarter of the last financial year to take preventive measures. To show that the Malaria & Dengue control programmes were affected due to non-release or delay of funds is completely incorrect, the official added.