#Congress delegation, led by Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Shri Ajay Maken, met Lt. Governor

On Jan 13, 2016

PEOPLE OF DELHI SUFFER DUE TO KEJRIWAL’S FIGHT WITH THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT—AJAY MAKEN

LT. GOVERNOR ASSURES DPCC DELEGATION HE WOULD TALK TO THE KEJRIWAL GOVERNMENT REGARDING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FOURTH FINANCE COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS.

KEJRIWAL SPENDS CRORES FOR SELF PROMOTION, BUT NO MONEY FOR DEVELOPMENT WORKS—AJAY MAKEN.

Dr Najeeb Jung today at Raj Niwas regarding the financial crunch being faced by the three MCDs and submitted him a memorandum. Besides Shri Ajay Maken, other members of the delegation consisted of the leaders of the three MCDs, Shri Mukesh Goel, Shri Farhad Suri and Smt. Varyam Kaur, Shri Chattar Singh and Municipal Councillors and Aldermen of the North Delhi MCD.

The Lt. Governor assured the delegation, led by Shri Ajay Maken, that he would take up the issues raised in their memorandum with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, including implementation of the recommendations of the fourth Finance Commission. (Copy of the memorandum is enclosed)

Addressing media persons outside Raj Niwas, Shri Ajay Maken said Kejirwal had been saying that the people of Delhi and the three MCDs were suffering due to his differences with the BJP-led Central Government on various issues. Shri Ajay Maken said whenever the financial condition of the MCDs worsened, the Delhi Government had given grant-in-aids to the MCDs to tide over their financial crises. He said the financial conditions of the three MCDs have become so bad that they do not have funds to distribute the wages of the sanitation staff, teachers, doctors, nurses and other category of employees, which have been pending for the past many months. As a result, these employees have to come out on the streets to fight for their just rights by holding dharnas and demonstrations.

Shri Ajay Maken said the financial conditions of the MCDs have become so acute that they do not have money to distribute even the pensions of widows, old people and the handicapped for the past many months. He said Kejriwal puts out his ads in FM radio after every song, and shows ads with Kejriwal’s back to the camera in televisions by spending crores of rupees out of the huge sum of Rs 526 crores the AAP Government has earmarked for its publicity campaign, but the AAP Government does not have funds to solve the financial crunch in the MCDs. As a result, development works in Delhi have come to a grinding halt.

Shri Maken said the condition of the East Delhi MCD is so bad that it does not have funds for carrying out development works. He said the AAP Government has also de-activated the Trans-Yamuna Development Board which used to look after the overall development works in the trans-Yamuna area for the Delhi Government. He said the East Delhi MCD has a deficit of Rs 1900 crore, and its employees have not been paid their salaries for many months.

Shri Maken said in the North Delhi MCD, funds for the local area developments have not been released, and the arrears of the salaries of the employees have been pending. In the South Delhi MCD, pensions for the old, widows, handicapped have not been paid for the past one year.

Shri Ajay Maken said though the Delhi Government had tabled the report of the Fourth Finance Commission in the Delhi Assembly, it put many conditions for its implementation. He said Kejriwal has been saying that the recommendations of the fourth Finance Commission would be implemented only if the Central Government releases funds. Shri Maken said on the one hand, Kejriwal has been harping on independence for its Government, and on the other hand, he was seeking funds from the Centre for implementing the Fourth Finance Commission recommendations.

Shri Maken said Lt. Governor Dr Najeeb Jung assured the Congress delegation that he would discuss the issues raised by the delegation with Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal to solve the financial crunch of the MCDs and also for the implementation of the recommendations of the Fourth Finance Commission.