Delhi getting polluted due to negligence of Kejriwal and AAP govt: Lekhi
According to the information received from Right to Information (RTI), Lekhi said, “About Rs 1,287 crore were collected in the last seven years due to environment cess and out of which the expenditure was Rs 272 crore in 2015-16. Out of this, Rs 265 crore was spent on only one project — rapid transport system. While everyone knows that environment cess money can be spent only on the issue of environment, not on any other item.”
New Delhi [India], November 9 (ANI): BJP leader and Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi on Wednesday alleged that the atmosphere in Delhi was getting polluted due to the negligence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
The Union Minister said that Rs 1,286.93 crore was collected in the form of environment cess in Delhi in seven years. Of this, Rs 80 lakh is being spent every month on the maintenance of the smog tower and that, too, is not working, she said.
According to the information received from Right to Information (RTI), Lekhi said, “About Rs 1,287 crore was collected in the last seven years due to environment cess and out of which the expenditure was Rs 272 crore in 2015-16. Out of this, Rs 265 crore was spent on only one project — rapid transport system. While everyone knows that environment cess money can be spent only on the issue of environment, not on any other item.”
Through an RTI, “we tried to enquire if the ‘red light on, gaadi off’ campaign is actually useful or not. And, we got to know that it does not make any difference,” she said. Lekhi also criticised AAP for being unable to control stubble burning in Punjab, despite being in power.
Meenakshi Lekhi said that the government of Punjab was earlier blamed for Arvind Kejriwal’s pollution, now when Punjab came to him, the incidence of stubble burning has increased. “Promised to build 10 smog towers but only one was built. That’s not working either. Kejriwal did not do any work to improve the environment of Delhi,” she said.
The Union minister said that the Centre gave it by making the Eastern Western Highway. Delhi does not need part-time CM, Arvind Kejriwal is part-time CM, Lekhi said, adding that the Delhi government did not allocate money for the disposal of garbage.
She said, “Kejriwal spent Rs 23 crore on the advertisement of stubble but spent only Rs 3 lakh on the land for the prevention of stubble. The difference between the words and deeds of the Kejriwal government is being paid by the public. The biggest polluters are the chief minister and deputy chief minister of Delhi.” (ANI)
