BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi said on Wednesday that Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP administration are to blame for the pollution of Delhi’s air.
According to the Union Minister, Delhi collected Rs. 1286.93 crore in environmental taxes over the course of seven years. She claimed that every month, 80 lakh rupees were spent on maintaining the pollution tower, which is also inoperable.
Approximately 1,287 crores of rupees in environmental cess were collected over the past seven years, of which 272 crores of rupees were spent in 2015–16, according to information obtained through RTI.
“Out of this, 265 crores of rupees were spent on only one project, the rapid transport system. The remaining money while everyone knows that environment cess money can be spent only on the issue of the environment, not on any other item,” she said.
Lekhi further added, “Through an RTI, we tried to enquire if the ‘red light on, gaadi off’ campaign is actually useful or not. We got to know that it does not make any difference.”
Lekhi further added, “Through an RTI, we tried to enquire if the ‘red light on, gaadi off’ campaign is actually useful or not. We got to know that it does not make any difference.”
Lekhi criticised Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (APP) administration for failing to prevent stubble burning while in power.
According to Lekhi, there have been more instances of stubble burning in Punjab since Arvind Kejriwal’s government took office.
He 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 took a swipe at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, calling him a part-time Chief Minister and saying that the national capital does not need a part-time CM.
“The Delhi government did not allocate money for the disposal of garbage. Kejriwal spent Rs 23 crore on the advertisement of stubble but only Rs 3 lakh on the land to prevent stubble. The difference between the words and deeds of the Kejriwal government is being paid for by the public,” said Lekhi.
Lekhi continued by saying that Delhi’s Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister are the city’s greatest polluters.