Rift in the Delhi BJP just before upcoming civic bypolls was exposed on Tuesday as a senior councillor accused NDMC mayor Ravinder Gupta of taking money in the name of party fund.
North Delhi Municipal Corporation leader Yogender Chandolia has written to Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay accusing Mr Gupta of taking money in the name of party fund.
The issue has become an embarrassment for the BJP and has provided fodder to the Opposition parties before the civic bypolls. Using the opportunity to attack the BJP, Opposition Congress in the civic body alleged that there were scams linked to contracting out work of solid waste management. The AAP also joined hand with the Congress in attacking the BJP. It demanded an inquiry within 48 hours and said the guilty must be punished. “The racket of corruption in the MCDs needs to be exposed. The Aam Aadmi Party would demand the Delhi government to order an ACB inquiry into the scam,” the ruling party said.
On March 10, Mr Chandolia wrote a letter to Mr Upadhyay highlighting the violation of the Municipal Act by Mr Gupta while conducting the business of House. “Mr Chandolia also wrote that it has come to his notice that Mr Gupta was taking money in the name of party fund. He (Mr Chandolia) asked the Delhi BJP chief whether any instruction was given to the mayor to collect party fund,” according to a source.
Allegations are being made that there was a scam in the allotment of contract to private companies for solid waste collection and transportation in Sadar Paharganj Zone, City Zone, Karol Bagh Zone and Narela Zone. BJP sources said Mr Gupta, while chairing the House meeting, had postponed an agenda item related to the award of a contract for solid waste management.
Using the BJP’s internal rift, NDMC Leader of Opposition Mukesh Goel has now written to lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung, demanding an independent inquiry into scam of contracting out the work of solid waste collection and transportation to landfill sites to private companies. He called for a CBI inquiry into the matter.
“Recently the mayor, Mr Gupta, and the Leader of House, Mr Chandolia, had locked horns over allotment of this contract in the NDMC House meeting. He said that if the civic body collects solid waste by procuring adequate number of trucks, a huge amount of public money can be saved,” said Mr Goel, who requested the L-G to institute an inquiry by an independent agency into the matter.
Mr Chandolia, however, refuted the claims made by Mr Goel. “Contract to companies was allotted in 2005 when the Congress was in power and terms and conditions of the contract were also decided by their leaders,” said Mr Chandolia.
