The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday alleged that the BJP-led municipal corporations of Delhi have indulged in massive corruption in the name of conversion charges and parking fees in the market areas.
AAP Delhi Convener Dilip Pandey told reporters here: "The MCDs have indulged in 'ghotala' (corruption) of thousands of crores in the name of conversion charges. They have been deceiving the businessmen of Delhi. Revelations made by the RTI filed by our MLA Jarnail Singh are shocking. SDMC has indulged in corruption of a thousand crore rupees. It obtained Rs 966 crore as conversion charges and Rs 61 crore as parking fees.
"This amount should have been used for the development and beautification of the area but the huge amount of public money is being used in the general accounts by the BJP-run MCDs," Pandey said.
He accused the MCDs of corruption in executing the sealing drive under which businesses in residential spaces used for commercial use without paying the 'use conversion charge' are being shut.
"They have deceived the city's businessmen," he said.
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The ongoing sealing drive by civic bodies and collection of conversion charges has been referred to an existing nine-member committee by State Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel.
The committee, headed by AAP legislator Bhavna Gaur, has been asked to submit a report in the next House session.
The sealing drive is being carried out by a Supreme Court-appointed Monitoring Committee against business establishments using residential properties for commercial purposes, and it is being implemented by the three BJP-led municipal corporations of Delhi (MCDs).
The Monitoring Committee was set up in 2006 for sealing the premises of erring businessmen. But in 2012, the apex court asked the committee to stop the drive.
In December 2017, the Supreme Court ordered resumption of the sealing drive and revived the Monitoring Committee.
The AAP had opposed the committee's revival in the Supreme Court.
--IANS
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