NDMC fund meant for salaries were used for swimming pools: AAP

New Delhi, Jun 8: AAP government today attacked the BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation, alleging that funds proposed for payment of salaries of employees in the civic body's budgetary allocation were "diverted" towards making "swimming pools and stadiums".

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said this at an event at the Ramlila Maidan here. "The NDMC and its Mayor and standing committee members have accused us (Delhi government) of being responsible for non-payment of salaries.

But, I tell you why the corporation wasn't able to pay them," he said. Holding out few pages of the NDMC Budget 2014-15, the AAP leader claimed that, "after the Commissioner proposed the budgetary allocation, members of standing committee brought in changes and diverted funds meant for disbursement of salaries."

"If you look at pages 34, 35, 36 and 37 of the Budget, you will find that the committee modified salaries of group C and group D employees and reduced them...So, I wondered where that money went.

And, went through files and realised that BJP councillors allocated that money to construction of swimming pools and stadiums," Sisiodia alleged. And, then, funds were diverted towards "dog's injections." "I mean Rs 2 crore for injections for street dogs and I still see them roaming around," he said.

Sisodia also alleged that the councillor's fund of NDMC was increased "Rs 4 lakh to Rs 114 crore. Aren't you (BJP) ashamed? So, now you (sanitation workers) know whom to go and ask questions to," he said.

He was speaking at an event at the Ramlila Maidan here, where Chief Minister Kejriwal, for the first time after assuming charge, held an audience with sanitation workers of NDMC and EDMC.

Commissioner of NDMC P K Gupta was also present on the occasion. Meanwhile, senior BJP party leaders and several councillors of the corporations staged a sit-in at the periphery of the Civic Centre here, wearing black head-bands in protest against the AAP government on the issue.

PTI