Sisodia meets Sitharaman, wants Delhi’s share in taxes
NEW DELHI : Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Friday met Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and demanded Delhi's share in central taxes, which he said could help the timely dispatch of funds to municipal corporations, speed up cleaning of the Yamuna, ensure sufficient electricity supply and provide clean water to every household.
On his first meeting with the Union minister after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came to power for the third time, winning 62 out of 70 seats, Sisodia, who is also Delhi’s finance minister, said, “There has been a positive discussion on cooperation for the economic development of Delhi…I asked for funds to be provided for the municipal corporations of Delhi in the same way as the central government gives (₹488 per capita per year) to the municipal corporations of other states. As of now, Delhi receives no funds from the central government for the municipal corporations.”
The three municipal corporations in Delhi are run by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and they have been facing a fund crunch for years now.
The dispute involves both the city and the central governments, and has often led to non-payment of dues to sanitation workers, doctors, nurses and employees associated with the civic agencies in different roles.
“I demanded a share in the central taxes for Delhi so that work can be done in Delhi to open schools, hospitals and fasten work on Yamuna cleaning,” Sisodia said.