New Delhi: Attacking the BJP-led central government, Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday claimed that more than half of Delhi's developmental funds or around Rs 9000 crore remained unspent during President rule in the city.
It alleged that after failing to use the funds, the Delhi administration was planning to launch new projects at the behest of BJP with an eye on forthcoming assembly election.
Addressing a news conference, AAP leaders Manish Sisodia, Ashish Khetan and Sanjay Singh alleged that around 55-60 per cent of the funds allocated by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely in the budget for the national capital remained unused because Delhi was ruled "without any direction" by the BJP's Central government.
"Around 55-60 per cent of the development funds have remained unspent in last seven months and these are related to vital infrastructure projects, education, health, water and social welfare sectors.
"Now that the elections are approaching, Delhi's chief secretary held a meeting with all the heads of the department asking them to expedite spending of funds. Can the Delhi administration deny that on November 17, the chief secretary had convened a meeting of all secretaries and directed them to ensure foundation laying stone ceremonies of some projects quickly?
"Even a Union Minister held a meeting with the chief secretary and all seven BJP MPs to take a stock of the pending projects, which could be initiated before the elections," Khetan said.
AAP alleged that it was a conspiracy hatched by the BJP to keep people of Delhi away from development.
"The planned outlay for different sectors was around Rs 19066 crore. The BJP has been asking votes for good governance? How can this mis-governance be good governance?
"Around Rs 9000 crore were not spent since last seven months. After the elections are declared, no new projects can be launched till the polls are over and the people will suffer. Even this fund will lapse after the financial year," former Delhi PWD minister Manish Sisodia said.
He alleged that development work was not carried so that
the BJP could seek leverage by starting the project just before the election.
"The people of Delhi have been kept deprived of their rights due to a conspiracy hatched by the Delhi administration under directions from the BJP, which wanted this money to be kept unspent till the last moment, so that its leaders could organise foundation stone laying ceremonies to fool the people," Sisodia said.
The party claimed only 6 per cent of the total plan outlay for food supplies, 8 per cent on power and 13 per cent on industries were spent.
"The BJP boasts about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India campaign and here it has only spent around 13 per cent of the total plan outlay for the industries. The party had promised a multi-speciality hospital in South Delhi, additional beds for the poor and dialysis centre? But around 60 per cent of funds for the health sector remained unused?" Khetan claimed.
"In primary education, over 42 per cent of the funds remained unspent while in higher education and technical education, the figure was around 60 and 8 per cent respectively," Khetan added.
The party further alleged that some 60 per cent of the transport funds remained unspent while the government had promised to buy around 1380 DTC buses.
In the energy sector, for which around Rs 675 crore budget was allocation, 94 per cent remained unused, the party claimed, when Delhi is reeling under the problem of power deficit.
"Where is the vision the BJP keeps on boasting? Delhi is being ruled by backdoor by the BJP and the people have suffered," Sisodia said.
