AAP govt cutting plan funds to civic bodies: Gupta

NEWDELHI: Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, on Thursday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of stopping ‘plan fund’ allocations of the transport and urban development sectors of the three municipal bodies in this financial year.

Gupta said the government had stopped the funds to “financially stifle” the three MCDS so that they are unable to undertake any development work.

Delhi government officials did not respond to the allegations.

The BJP leader said non-allocation of funds in the planned head will “cripple” essential services such as door-to-door garbage collection, maintenance of sanitary landfill sites, tippertruck services, segregation of garbage, and improvement of roads conducted by the three civic bodies.

“It has been done to spoil image of the BJP, which rule the three local bodies, ahead of the general elections next year. We will meet lieutenant governor Anil Baijal and urge him to direct the government to restore the funds. If required, we will go to the high court,” Gupta told reporters at the assembly premises.

Gupta said the government’s move was an act of “revenge” as the party was defeated by the BJP in the municipal corporation elections last year.

Gupta said that in 2017-18, these sectors received an allocation of Rs 1228.42 crore as plan fund but instead of increasing the allocation this year, the government reduced it to zero.