Delhi Assembly for fact-finding panel into ‘fiscal mismanagement in MCDs’

New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS) In the wake of the garbage crisis, the Delhi Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution to set up a fact-finding committee to probe how funds are being utilised by the three municipal corporations and steps being taken to bridge the revenue gap.

The resolution was moved by Aam Admi Party MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj following discussion on alleged fiscal mismanagement in the BJP-ruled Municipal Corporations of Delhi, especially in East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC).

The resolution was seconded by Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.

Moving the resolution Bharadwaj said: "A fact finding-committee should immediately be set up by the government so that transparency could be brought over the matter of where the money being given to MCDs by the Delhi government is going."

"The report of the fact-finding committee should be tabled in the next session of the assembly (budget session)," he said.

The resolution was passed by voice vote without any opposition.

Supporting the resolution Sisodia said, "After municipal elections in Delhi we will run the MCDs with the same amount of money that we are giving to the civic bodies now and no employee will have to wait for their salaries."

The move comes after the indefinite strike called by sanitation workers of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation leading to a garbage crisis, over non payment of salaries.

The BJP-ruled East Corporation has blamed the Delhi government of withholding funds and not implementing reform policies to make MCDs more financially viable.

All the three municipal corporations in Delhi are being ruled by BJP, but depend financially on the state government.