Arvind Kejriwal announces Rs 551 cr loan for civic bodies

New Delhi, Feb 3: The Delhi government will extend a loan of Rs 551 crore to two civic bodies, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday, Feb 3 and alleged a situation was being created through the ongoing municipal strike to prepare grounds for imposition of central rule in the national capital.

Speaking from Bengaluru, where he is undergoing naturopathy treatment, Kejriwal alleged there were "massive scams" in three BJP-ruled municipal corporations and demanded a CBI inquiry into them.

He said his government does not owe any money to the civic bodies. Besides a loan of Rs 551 crore, Kejriwal said Delhi Government is also releasing Rs 142 crore to the North Delhi Municipal corporation as sought by it by way of stamp duty last week.

"An impression is being created as if Delhi Government is responsible for the financial mess in the MCDs which have been ruled by BJP for the last 10 years. There are huge scams in MCDs. A situation is being created through the strike of the municipal workers to show that there is a crisis in Delhi. "The Modi government has dictatorial tendencies. Someone told me they are trying to create a situation to impose President's Rule in Delhi the way they imposed it in Arunachal Pradesh," the Chief Minister said.

Exuding confidence about winning next year's municipal polls, Kejriwal said situation in the MCDs is such that they should be dissolved and fresh elections be held immediately.

He said joint front of 19 Unions of MCD Employees have called for dissolving the civic bodies and bringing them under Delhi Government.

The strike by the sanitation staff of municipal bodies demanding payment of dues entered the eighth day today, crippling the garbage disposal system.

They have been joined by teachers, doctors, nurses and contractors of the civic bodies. Demanding a CBI probe into the affairs of MCDs, Kejriwal said "If CBI could probe us then why not the MCDs.We had ordered inspection of accounts of the civic bodies but they refused to cooperate."

The Chief Minister said his government has allocated double the amount of funds to the three civic bodies in the current fiscal compared to the previous year which, he alleged, has been diverted.

PTI