Congress attacks AAP for 'total failure' in first 49 days

New Delhi, Apr 3: As AAP government completes 49 days in office -- the tenure of its first stint, Congress on Friday mounted a blistering attack on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of "total failure" in governance due to "excessive" focus on containing dissidence in the party.

Delhi Congress Chief Ajay Maken said the entire city was suffering due "absence of governance" and particularly hit out at Kejriwal for "deteriorating" financial position of the government. "The internal fight in AAP has seriously affected governance in Delhi.

The Chief Minister is only focussing on party affairs. There is a total absence of governance. Kejriwal has totally failed to deliver," Maken said.

The former Union Minister also accused Kejriwal of failing to "rein in" private power distribution companies and said instead of giving around Rs 1,670 crore to the discoms per annum under the power subsidy scheme, government should have ensured transparency in the sector and passed on the benefits to consumers.

"There is a deficit of Rs 4,500 crore in the financial year 2014-15. There has been a huge shortfall in revenue collection. The situation is very worrying. The development scenario in Delhi is really scary," Maken told PTI.

He also slammed Kejriwal for not releasing adequate financial assistance to municipal corporation, saying fund crunch has severely affected garbage removal and other operations of the civic bodies.

The DPCC Chief also took pot shot at Kejriwal for removing AAP's internal Lokpal L Ramdas, a former Navy Chief.

"The AAP was formed following the Lokpal movement and now see how the party's own Lokpal was removed. There is no internal democracy in the party. The party is in shambles."

Maken said removal of Ramdas has "proved" that "AAP does not want a want a 'majboot' (strong) Lokpal but they want a 'majbur' (helpless) Lokpal."

The DPCC chief alleged hat the AAP government was fighting with the Lt Governor, Haryana Government and municipal corporations on a range of issues rather than providing governance to the people of the city.

"They are also fighting among themselves rather than ensuring welfare of the people of Delhi which is very unfortunate for people of the city," he said. Maken also attacked Kejriwal government for "significantly slashing" plan outlay while presenting vote-on account last month.

Presenting the vote-on-account, the AAP government last month had set aside Rs 15,350 crore for plan expenditure for 2015-16 against Rs 16,700 crore in the previous fiscal.

"The cut in plan outlay will definitely affect developmental projects. This government does not have any plan for the city," Maken said.

On government's directive to Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission to explain hike in power tariff in the last couple of years, the senior Congress leader said there was nothing wrong in it.

"The government was within its right to give such directions," he said.

The AAP government last month had asked the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission to explain a series of tariff hikes in the last two years.

On power subsidy scheme, he said instead of giving such sops, the government should have carried out a thorough scrutiny of functioning of the discoms and passed on the benefits to the consumers.

The Kejriwal government had announced a 50 per cent subsidy on monthly power consumption of up to 400 units in February. The scheme will cost the exchequer a total of of Rs 1,670 crore annually.

PTI