‘Sprinkling pesticides, AAP’s termites coming out’: Delhi CM slams previous regime

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta lashed out at the previous AAP government on Tuesday, alleging they left the system infested with termites through rampant corruption and mismanagement. Addressing the Assembly on the final day of the Monsoon Session, Gupta pointed to reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) that detailed the previous government's misuse of funds and irregularities in schemes.

Gupta claimed that the last government was led by a chief minister (Arvind Kejriwal) who held no portfolio and had two major CAG reports, which were prepared by the independent auditor, revealing the extent of the corruption. She noted the increase in electricity subsidy expenditure from Rs 2,405.59 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 3,161 crore in 2022-23, and highlighted that the subsidy scheme did not target deserving and disadvantaged sections, instead distributing funds to nearly all domestic consumers.

Furthermore, Gupta criticized the e-procurement system for using common PAN numbers and identical email IDs, suggesting possible collusion and bid rigging. The CAG report found that out of 7,181 tenders worth Rs 3,217.44 crore, bidders used the same IP addresses. Gupta alleged that the AAP government had targeted every sector, committing scams from education to health, and diverted around Rs 61,000 crore of the Rs 80,798-crore budget allocated for 2024-25.

Gupta argued that had the previous government focused on public interest infrastructure like roads, flyovers, and schools, the city would be in a better state. Instead, she claimed that the focus was on committing scams, misusing funds, and misleading the public. Addressing the Opposition, Gupta urged them to accept the CAG's findings, and warned that the government would not allow electricity tariffs to increase, as they had remained unchanged since 2014.

This resulted in a widening gap between revenue and expenditure, which now stands at around Rs 38,000 crore.

The CM assured the public that her government was undertaking administrative reforms to make the procurement process more transparent and accountable. She stated that after irregularities in the procurement of medicines were exposed, forty officials from the Procurement Cell were transferred, and three were suspended.