Date:10/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/10/stories/2008101052410400.htm

New Delhi

“Mayor wasting funds”

Staff Reporter

The MCD has no funds to pay increased salaries: Congress

NEW DELHI: The Leader of Opposition in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Jai Kishan Sharma, and Councillors Rakesh Rajora, Ajit Singh and Captain Khavinder Singh have accused Mayor Arti Mehra of wasting the civic body’s funds and using officials for self-projection and narrow political objectives.

In a joint statement, they alleged that the Mayor wasted Rs.35 lakh from the civic body’s funds in organising the All-India Mayors’ Conference for Mega Cities on Tuesday.

“Such conferences are organised from the funds of the All-India Mayors’ Association which has a separate office, funds and officials. But the Mayor chose to utilise the MCD funds. It is sad that in view of the Sixth Pay Commission the MCD does not have funds to pay salaries and arrears to its staff and yet it is wasting money on such useless exercises,” said Mr. Sharma.

The Congress leader said the Mayor also misused MCD funds for hosting a dinner at a five-star hotel. “The expenditure was borne by the MCD. Since the attendance was negligible, the civic body’s officials were made to fill the seats for full days leaving their much important responsibilities. It is a sad state of affairs that the Mayors of cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Lucknow declined to participate in the conference.”