Delhi BJP accuses AAP govt of Rs 250 cr fraud in shelter homes

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Updated At : 04:26 AM Dec 20, 2024 IST

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Thursday accused the AAP government of orchestrating a massive Rs 250 crore scam in the name of shelter homes. He alleged the corruption racket was taking place through the collusion of contractor NGOs, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) officials, and the AAP government. Sachdeva demanded an immediate investigation by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) and filed a formal complaint with the Lokayukta.At a press conference along with advocate Himanshu Sethi, the complainant in the case, Sachdeva detailed what he called a "disgraceful fraud", claiming that the rights of Delhi's most vulnerable citizens were being violated. He stated, "A scam is being run through the collusion of contractor NGOs, DUSIB officials, and Delhi’s AAP government."

The DUSIB is responsible for providing shelter to the city's poor and homeless.According to DUSIB’s guidelines, each shelter home is allocated funds to pay 5 to 6 caretakers, depending on the shelter's capacity. However, a BJP investigation uncovered fraudulent practices within this system. Sachdeva revealed, "In each shelter, payments are made for 5-6 caretakers, but only 2 are actually present. Our investigation found 3-4 ghost employees in every shelter home."

Revealing other discrepancies, he said, "Five salaries are being deposited into a single account, which are then allegedly returned as commissions to leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party," Sachdeva claimed.

Accusing the government of allowing NGOs to exploit the system, he said, "The NGOs entrusted with this responsibility are selected by the Delhi government, and yet we see rampant corruption," he added. The investigation, led by the BJP’s legal team, found that eight major NGOs contracted for shelter home maintenance in Delhi were responsible for this malpractice.

In another revelation, Sachdeva disclosed that identical Aadhaar numbers were being used across multiple shelter homes to withdraw multiple salaries. "Whether it’s the shelter at Delhi Gate, Lahori Gate, Turkman Gate, or Mangolpuri, a single Aadhaar card is being used to draw 3-5 salaries," he said.

The BJP has now formally requested the ACB to investigate the roles of Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, concerned ministers, MLAs, DUSIB officials, and others involved in the alleged scam.