Sisodia slams SDMC for ‘refusing to use MLA funds’

ACCUSING THE Bjp-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) of indulging in “dirty politics”, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday directed the director of local bodies under the Delhi government not to execute two resolutions passed by the civic body in which it decided not to install LED lights and children’s play equipment in parks using MLA funds.

“The parks under the MCDS are dirty, roads are damaged, drains are broken, they say they have no funds. When they fail to do anything, MLAS carry out this work but the MCD is creating hurdles in many things. They delay giving estimates and issuing NOCS. In Jungpura, benches installed in a park with MLA funds were removed. MCD officials are told not to accompany MLAS on rounds. Their corporators thrive on corruption,” Sisodia said.

Each of Delhi’s 70 MLAS gets a fund of Rs 4 crore for Local Area Development (LAD).

The two resolutions passed by the SDMC on November 25, state that “No LED lights should be installed/replaced on the roads/streets under the jurisdiction of SDMC by utilising MLA fund” and “No children play equipments should be installed in parks under the jurisdiction of SDMC by utilising MLA fund”.

Sisodia said both the BJP and the Congress had misused the House to pass such resolutions. However, since then the commissioner had not issued orders to implement the resolutions.

“What if the Legislative Assembly passes a resolution saying we won’t allow use of MP funds or we won’t implement demonetisation? Is this an independent republic of South Delhi? Is this a country within a country? They (SDMC) are a part of the federal structure,” said Sisodia.

AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the SDMC had not put curbs on any other funds like MP funds but only on MLA funds.

Chairman, Standing Committee, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Shailender Singh said that the state government had asked for LED lights to be put in place in the different wards using MLA LAD fund which the SDMC had refused.

“We have already put 75,000 LED lights — 11,000 more than whatwasrequired.theywanted 5,000 more lights from every MLA’S LAD fund when there was no scope for additional lights. This is why we refused,” Singh said.

He stressed that while no developmental work has been stopped or denied on any MLA’S account, “the corporation has been asking for funds in several other heads where they could have provided us a share of MLA LAD funds and they chose not to”.

The SDMC has decided not to install LED lights, kids’ play equipment in parks using MLA funds