"The (redevelopment) work by PWD and MCD has been done with the Delhi taxpayers' money. Not a penny has been given to PWD by the central government," Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj commented on Chandni Chowk redevelopment project ahead of G20 Summit.
The Aam Aadmi Party challenged the Central Government’s claim of funding the redevelopment work by PWD and MCD in the capital, ahead of the three-day-long G20 summit. While the BJP maintains its claims of utilising Central Funds for the same, and challenged AAP to name a project funded by the latter, AAP questioned otherwise.
Delhi had undergone a complete makeover under the supervision of Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, since 2022. The makeover encompassed demolition drives, re-building, painting, tree planting, adding new lights and signages. However, the billing for the same remains contested as the two parties claim differently.
State BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, last week, had stated that all renovation or development projects related to G-20 in Delhi were carried out by the Delhi Government and the Municipal Corporation Of Delhi. "All these are being done with the funds provided by the Central Government” said the state BJP chief.
"If the Kejriwal government had worked on the announced plans for the beautification of its markets, many major markets of Delhi would have been shining today before the G-20 conference," he added.
The claim was contested by AAP who said that only projects by NDMC and NHAI had been funded by the Centre. the Centre.
"The Central government has only spent money on Wherever NDMC and NHAI roads stand. This level of politics is not going to help the country," the party said.
"It is shocking to see that the BJP had to pass the developmental work done by the AAP government as their own. All money on PWD roads was spent by the PWD of Delhi Govt., and all money on the MCD roads was spent by the MCD," AAP added.
To which the Delhi BJP chief replied via a tweet, saying, "Delhi's makeover for G-20 is fully funded by the central government and it is shameful to see Kejriwal and his ministers trying to steal the credit.”
"Even the concept of wall painting has been started by the central government first in Pragati Maidan tunnel and later in NDMC area… I challenge Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to name a single project of beautification or development done by his government in Delhi in preparation for the G-20," said his post on X, formerly Twitter.