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New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Delhi Finance Minister Atishi on Monday accused the BJP of using officers to stop funds and hampering the city government’s works, asserting that the saffron party won’t be able to come to power in the national capital despite deploying these tactics.
During a discussion in the Delhi Assembly on the alleged hindrance created by the Finance Department in the functioning of the Public Works and Health departments and the Delhi Jal Board, Atishi said the government has a surplus budget and there is no shortage of funds.
“Due to the honest government of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the budget has grown two-and-a-half times times in the past eight years. There is no lack of funds and there is surplus budget. The only problem is that the Finance Department is not ready to release the funds,” she alleged.
Talking about the issue of non-release of funds to the Delhi Jal Board, Atishi said it had raised a demand for the second instalment of funds in August but a simple routine file was not processed by the Finance Department.
“The Finance Department has a bad intention. They alleged financial mismanagement in the Delhi Jal Board and, despite me writing to the Finance Department to name any corrupt official, they have not replied and stopped the funds,” Atishi alleged.
“There are over Rs 1,200 crore worth of previous bills lying pending with the Delhi Jal Board. Whatever is happening in Delhi is orchestrated by the BJP,” she claimed.
The BJP knows they cannot defeat Kejriwal in Delhi and they are using officers to stop the Delhi government’s work, she said.
“The officers themselves are scared because they are threatened to hamper the work (of the government). Despite this, the AAP will again return to power and the BJP will lose even the eight seats it has (at present) in the assembly polls of 2025,” she said.
Earlier in the day, while speaking on the issue of obstruction of Delhi Assembly funds by the Finance Department, Atishi said it is a serious matter that the department is not processing the House’s bills.
The bureaucracy of Delhi has been “weaponised” against the elected government since the GNCTD (Amendment) Act was brought in by the Centre, she said.
“They are returning files saying the Law Department is the administrative department to process the bills. However, the Law Department has clearly written in more than 40 files that the files should not be sent to them,” said Atishi.
“The Finance Department and the finance secretary have refused to comply with my orders. The Finance Department has also stopped funds of of the Public Works Department and the Delhi Jal Board,” she alleged. PTI VIT SLB SZM
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