AAP slams North MCD Budget, calls it 'absurd joke'

Making a scathing attack on the BJP-ruled North Delhi Municipal Corporation, the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday said that the Budget presented by the civic agency is an absurd joke on the people residing in its areas of jurisdiction. The party said that the Budget has been callously written without addressing the financial crisis faced by this civic body, which is severely plaguing its functioning.

"The Corporation has made promises like a Medicity and investments in solar energy which it will not be able to afford even if it invests its total Budget on it," said AAP's Delhi convenor Dilip Pandey on Thursday.

The leader said that the Budget exposes the double standards of the BJP, which has been opposing the proposed salary hike of MLAs in Delhi and it is building offices for its own Councillors, giving them drivers, health insurances etc. "The AAP government in Delhi was not asking for any luxuries like a driver since there is no car allowance to start with for the MLAs. It also shows the mentality of the BJP which assumes that all its Councillors with a salary of Rs 3,000 a month have cars," said the leader, claiming that, the MCD is not asking for a raise in Councillors salaries, because its Councillors make money out of other corrupt means.

He said that the MCDs lie about pensions which they have been denying to the senior citizens, widows andphysically disabled individuals and that has been exposed. The three civic bodies have refused to pay pensions to any individual. The Delhi government has now stepped in and has started giving pensions. "The question still remains what has prevented the MCDs from having done it in the past? The Corporation should not hide its own corrupt practices and go on to harp on its old promises like setting up vending zones for street hawkers and others," added the AAP convenor.

"MCDs have consistently claimed that they do not have funds to pay the salaries of safai karamcharis but the North Corporation claims it will become the first municipality in the world to provide sanitation staff with mobile phones!," he said.