Politics over civic funds bid to malign BJP image, says Ravinder Gupta

New Delhi: Delhi BJP general secretary and former mayor Ravinder Gupta alleged that just like its predecessor — the Congress government — the present Arvind Kejriwal government is not only paralysing the work of the municipal corporations by withholding allotment of funds but also trying to malign BJP’s political image owing to its political malice.

Mr Gupta also alleged that in addition, the Delhi government is also punishing Delhiites for rejecting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the civic polls.

“The Kejriwal government is continuously lying in the case of funds due to the municipal corporations. Presently, the Kejriwal government is releasing funds on the basis of the recommendations of the 3rd Delhi Finance Commission, which was formed in 2004. According to the recommendations of this commission, the then United Municipal Corporation was to be allotted funds between 2006 and 2011,” said Mr Gupta.

He pointed out that in 2012 the municipal corporation was divided into three parts. At that time it was an established fact that the responsibilities of the East and North Delhi municipal corporations were much higher vis-à-vis their financial resources.

“In spite of this fact, the then Congress government neither released the establishment fund to these corporations nor accepted the recommendations of the 4th Delhi Finance Commission in the Legislative Assembly,” Mr Gupta added.

According to him, just like the Congress government, the Kejriwal government did not present the recommendations of the 4th Finance Commission before the Legislative Assembly.

“Last year, owing to the orders of the court and BJP’s political pressure, the Kejriwal government presented the recommendations before the Assembly and accepted it. However, it has not implemented the same owing to political malice,” he said.