Kumari Selja accuses BJP government of rising corruption in local bodies

Member of Parliament from Sirsa, Kumari Selja, criticised the BJP government for claiming to control corruption while it continued to grow. She stated that the local bodies had become centres of corruption, where no work could be done without paying bribes. Before the newly elected mayors and chairpersons took office, discrepancies worth Rs 1,400 crore were discovered in 62 municipalities, including 10 municipal corporations.

Selja revealed that these discrepancies, which were uncovered by the Legislative Assembly's committee, showed that officials had taken advances for work but failed to provide any evidence or accounts for the spending. Gurugram had the highest discrepancies. She called it a scam and demanded a judicial inquiry, urging the government to take strict action against those responsible.

The Legislative Assembly's committee audited the financial records of 10 municipal corporations for 2019-20, totaling Rs. 1,395.98 crore. Discrepancies in temporary advances were found, with Rs 781.75 crore from Faridabad and Rs 403.86 crore from Gurugram. Selja also highlighted that the records related to property tax, building plans, and outstanding certificates had not been presented for years.

She warned that if all local bodies in the state were investigated, the biggest scam in the country could be revealed.