Cong, BJP councillors face-off at MCD meet

Accusing the Congress government of `politicising’ the issue, Kumar said that the government was not complying with the recommendations of the Delhi Finance Commission. He also lashed out at the Delhi government for paying the MCD only Rs 8.75 crore out of the Rs 121 crore due to them for providing services to the residents of resettlement colonies.

Furious at the allegations against their government, the Congress councillors joined the fray and accused the BJP of bungling on the mid-day meal scheme. This led to an angry debate between the leader of the Opposition, Rambabu Sharma and Standing Committee chairman Shanti Desai.

Sharma alleged that the Standing Committee had deliberately placed an order for cakes worth Rs 3.18 crore with Chand Fabricator Company. He said that the company had to supply cakes till March 15 this year, yet it had continued to supply them even after that period. He also said that either the company was not paying them excise duty or providing them fruity bread instead of cake because the essential ingredients used in baking the cake was one for which company had to pay eight per cent excise duty. So, he summarised, either way the company was fooling the MCD.

Giving his clarification, the municipal commissioner said that samples of both the fruity bread which was bought from the market at Rs 30 per Kg and the cake supplied to them at Rs 78 per Kg, had been sent to the laboratory for testing. He said that reports about these samples would make everything clear and if it was found that the company was required to pay them excise duty, then it would be charged accordingly. On the other hand, if they were providing them fruity bread, then strict legal action would be taken against the company concerned.

However, since the members did not seem to be satisfied with the answer, Desai said that after the findings of the report were submitted, the matter would be discussed again.