The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) tore into the BJP over Delhi’s mounting garbage crisis, pointing to the party’s “four-engine government” of leaving the MCD bankrupt and powerless to clean the city. During the Standing Committee meeting on Wednesday, Leader of Opposition (LoP) in MCD Ankush Narang revealed that the Commissioner admitted ₹3,500 crore is required to tackle the waste problem, while the corporation can barely arrange ₹70 crore for concessionaires.Ankush Narang said filth has engulfed every corner of Delhi, and the BJP’s so-called campaign to free the capital from garbage has been reduced to nothing more than photo-ops. He charged that CM Rekha Gupta and the Mayor have failed to secure funds from their own central government, reminding the Mayor that instead of “crying about budget constraints,” she must fulfill her accountability to Delhiites by ensuring a garbage-free city.In a press conference at AAP headquarters, senior AAP leader and MCD LoP Ankush Narang said that during Wednesday’s Standing Committee meeting at the MCD headquarters, when the issue of garbage was raised, it was revealed that the so-called month-long campaign titled ‘Delhi Ko Kude Se Azaadi’, launched jointly by CM Rekha Gupta and Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh, was nothing more than a publicity stunt. “As AAP has been saying from the start, this campaign is a mere show. The Mayor and CM Rekha Gupta only get themselves photographed at sites already cleaned by our hardworking sanitation staff,” Ankush Narang stated.He further said that during the meeting, 18 members—including not just AAP councillors but also BJP’s own—confirmed that garbage was scattered all across the Central Zone. “There is no system for garbage lifting in the Central Zone. Earlier too, we had run campaigns on this issue, even dumping garbage outside the Mayor’s office in protest, because there are not even tippers available for garbage collection. The meeting exposed BJP’s bluff—their campaign is purely cosmetic and is making no real difference on the ground. Even BJP councillors admitted that garbage is lying everywhere,” said the MCD LoP.Highlighting the official acknowledgement of the crisis, Ankush Narang said: “The Commissioner himself admitted that the garbage problem in Central, South, and West Zones is serious. I also pointed out that in the Civil Lines Zone, heaps of garbage lie unattended at Majlis Park and Ramghat in Wazirabad. Even around the Mayor’s residence garbage is piled up. The Commissioner, BJP councillors, and the Standing Committee Chairperson all agreed that garbage is accumulating at many places and vulnerable points are increasing.” The Commissioner, Ankush Narang added, informed the committee that ₹3,500 crore is required to resolve the crisis, but MCD does not have the money. “We need to pay concessionaires ₹90 crore but can only manage ₹70 crore, which is why concessionaires are not working properly. There is also a shortage of funds for issuing tenders,” the Commissioner said, according to Ankush Narang.Posing sharp questions to the BJP, the MCD LoP said: “Today, Delhi is under BJP’s four-engine government—the Centre, Delhi Government, MCD, and the Lieutenant Governor are all under their control. They amended the MCD Act to hand over all powers to the Centre. Then why is there a problem in bringing funds from the Centre? Why is the Commissioner lamenting that the MCD has no money? BJP itself claimed that once they held power at every level, they would be able to deliver good governance in Delhi and the MCD.”He added: “Now when the Centre, Delhi Government, and MCD are all under BJP, why is the Commissioner crying about a ₹3,500 crore shortfall, even as BJP’s CM Rekha Gupta speaks of making Delhi garbage-free and Prime Minister Narendra Modi preaches cleanliness? Is the Centre unwilling to give ₹3,500 crore to the MCD? Is BJP’s Delhi Government refusing to provide funds to the MCD? Can’t Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh and Rekha Gupta together bring funds from the Centre to resolve Delhi’s garbage mess?”Holding BJP’s tenure responsible for the worsening situation, Ankush Narang said: “Ever since BJP came to power in Delhi Government and MCD, every street has been turning into a dumping ground and vulnerable garbage points are multiplying. AAP demands that BJP’s MCD and Delhi Government immediately secure funds from the Centre, run the corporation properly, and stop making excuses that a ₹3,500 crore shortfall is the reason garbage is piling up across Delhi. This is BJP’s full responsibility and accountability to the people of Delhi.
