New Delhi: The Delhi Congress on Thursday sought a CBI inquiry, alleging corruption by ruling AAP in the name of controlling air pollution in the national capital.
The party accused AAP of corruption in the purchase and distribution of masks for school children and also in extending financial benefits to the party volunteers for Odd-Even traffic scheme.
In a joint press conference, DPCC president Subhash Chopra, former Delhi Minister Haroon Yusuf and chief spokesperson Mukesh Sharma claimed that the Delhi and Central governments were collecting money from the people in the name of Green Tax, but instead of spending that money on checking pollution, the AAP government was indulged in corruption by introducing the Odd-Even traffic regulation once again in the Capital.
They said the Kejriwal government was spending the Green Tax money for its self-publicity.
Chopra said the AAP government, which has collected Rs 1,174.67 crore from the people as ‘Green Tax” since 2015 has spent only Rs 272.51 crore, out of which Rs 265 crore were spent on the orders of the Supreme Court for the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System.
“The AAP government spent only Rs 7 crore for the repair of Delhi roads for pollution control, which was a big scam as the Delhi government has no account of the expenses incurred,” he said, adding around Rs 400 crore were lying with the Central government.
Chopra also said that 63,142 children had died due to air pollution in 2017. He said that according to available statistics, 58 children face death every day in Delhi due to pollution.
“Despite this shocking revelation, the BJP government at the Centre and the AAP government in Delhi have not taken effective measures to control pollution in the Capital.”
The leaders said that despite air pollution soaring to the “severe” mark yet again, the Kejriwal government “squandered” Rs 40 crore for its own publicity, instead of combating pollution.
Questioning the basis on which the masks were purchased and distributed, Delhi Congress leaders said there were doubts about the manner in which the masks were purchased and distributed and demanded a high-level probe.