HC asks Delhi government to respond on SDMC plea for funds

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the city government to file its response on a plea filed by a corporator of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) seeking release of funds and implementation of recommendations of Fourth Delhi Finance Commission.

Justice V.P. Vaish asked government to file its reply within two weeks and posted the matter for September 14.

Radhey Shyam Sharma, chairman of SDMC's Standing Committee, alleged that in the past few years, there has been an attempt on the part of the Delhi government to suffocate SDMC by depriving it of its due share of funds under various heads.

It sought release of taxes to the extent of Rs 87.04 crore, the Municipal Reforms Fund's Rs.567 crore, Grant-in-Aid for Educations' Rs 120 crore as budgeted by the Delhi government under grant-in-aid heads to SDMC, the plea said.

It was alleged in the plea that the Delhi government has failed to provide 100 per cent Grant-in-Aid for Education.

Advocate Swarupama Chaturvedi, appearing for Sharma, said that the grant-in-aid fund is used for providing better education to students while due to failure of the Delhi government to release funds to municipal corporations, the basic civic services are affected and removal of garbage from the streets is also hampered.