BJP-Ruled North Delhi Civic Body Not Depositing Employee Provident Fund: AAP

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday alleged that the BJP-ruled North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has not deposited "a penny" into the general provident fund (GPF) accounts of its existing employees since 2014.

Besides, a large number of retired employees have also not got money from their GPF accounts, the AAP alleged, and sought an explanation from the BJP.

"Every company, private or government, has to implement a GPF deduction in the employee's salary. Both the employee and the employer deposit equal proportions of money towards it and the money gets deposited into their GPF account," the AAP's chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj told reporters.

"But, they haven't deposited a single penny towards the GPF since 2014. It is a matter of shame for all of us that the MCD is making deductions from the employees' salaries but there's no record of where it is going," he said.

Mr Bharadwaj also alleged that the NDMC should have had Rs 1,232.45 crore with it for the employees' GPF but when enquired it was found that the civic body has just Rs 28 crore with it on this head.

"So where did the rest of the money go," he asked, accusing the ruling BJP of cheating the NDMC employees.

Reacting to the AAP's allegations, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that before making allegations and seeking details of the accounts, Mr Bhardwaj should have ensured that the Delhi government "immediately" released all the arrears of the municipal corporations' funds according to 4th and 5th Delhi Finance Commissions.

"There is no doubt that the MCDs are passing through an economic crisis as the Delhi government is giving them funds on the basis of third Delhi Finance Commission applicable for 2007-2012, while the salary, pension bills and other expenses are all increased as per the 2021 level," he said.

For last seven to eight years, he said, income and funds of the MCDs stand at the 2015 level because the Arvind Kejriwal government is not releasing their enhanced funds as recommended by the 4th and the 5th Delhi Finance Commission's recommendations for period of 2012 onwards.

"The economic crunch and pressure to meet enhanced expenses on salary, pension and other bills has forced MCDs to withdraw from reserves and Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal government is responsible for this situation," he charged.