New Delhi, Aug 7 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday accused the previous AAP government of deceiving people by using free schemes as political tools while neglecting development works and indulging in propaganda.

There was no immediate reaction from AAP.

Speaking in the Delhi Assembly on a CAG report tabled in the House on Monday, Gupta claimed it completely exposed the AAP dispensation.

The revenue surplus of the Delhi government in 2023-24 under AAP rule declined by 55 per cent as compared to the preceding fiscal, the CAG report tabled by Gupta said.

The chief minister demanded that the CAG reports on finance accounts and appropriation accounts of Delhi for the year 2023-24 be referred to the Public Accounts Committee.

She also accused the previous government of deceiving the public by portraying free schemes as if it was offering them from its own pockets, when in reality, the money used belonged to the people.

"The public had hoped that their tax money would be used for building roads, schools and hospitals. Instead, their hard-earned income was diverted towards so-called free schemes," the chief minister said.

She added that the AAP government deliberately neglected development works and focused entirely on publicity and propaganda.

Gupta also pointed out that the reason the previous regime avoided implementing several key development schemes was because they were associated with the prime minister.

"Such was the extent of their malice," she said.

Gupta also held the previous government (now in opposition) firmly accountable, saying the CAG report "exposed the mismanagement and lack of intent to work on the part of the previous administration".

The chief minister said she had already anticipated that once the CAG report was tabled, the opposition would either walk out of the House or try to shift the entire blame onto the Central government.

"They would claim that they received neither financial assistance nor grants from the Centre. However, the truth is that the Central government provided a grant of Rs 4,800 crore to Delhi," she claimed.

Highlighting how this amount was utilised, she said Rs 463 crore was spent on water supply, Rs 482 crore on free bus services, and Rs 3,250 crore on the free electricity scheme.

In this way, the entire grant was consumed by the so-called freebie schemes, she charged.

Referring to the CAG report, the chief minister said the entire revenue of the previous government was consumed by expenses -- ”salaries, interest payments, and other such expenditures that do not create any permanent assets.

She also pointed out that in the financial year 2022-“23, Delhi government had a revenue surplus of Rs 4,566 crore, but the entire amount was spent.

As a result, in 2023-“24, the government fell into a deficit of Rs 3,934 crore. Together, the deficit over these two years amounted to nearly Rs 8,600 crore, Gupta claimed.

The chief minister also said that there was a 50 per cent decline in public health expenditure, and the 24 hospitals whose foundations had been laid remained incomplete to this day.

Sectors like education and sports saw a 42 per cent cut, while road construction and public works witnessed a reduction of up to 40 per cent, Gupta said, as she called this a clear sign of neglect towards public welfare and a misuse of resources.

Launching a scathing attack on the previous government, the chief minister said that developmental projects were deliberately ignored, and all the focus was placed on publicity.

She claimed that not a single new flyover was constructed, nor was any major road project completed.

The urban development budget was slashed by 36 per cent, she charged.

As a result, revenue continued to fall, expenditure kept rising, and ultimately, the people of Delhi were betrayed -- ”there was no development of roads, schools, or hospitals, Gupta claimed.

Alleging that despite receiving substantial funding from the Centre, the AAP government did not deliver any concrete results, she accused the party of shirking accountability now.

She added that the Centre consistently provided budgetary support to Delhi for development projects, but as of March 31, 2024, Rs 842 crore remained unspent.

The Central government also allocated an additional Rs 2,400 crore specifically for building hospitals and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, but not a single rupee was spent on the public, she alleged.

The chief minister questioned whether the funds remained unused merely because the scheme included the word "prime minister" in its name.

She went on to say that the Centre also released funds for schemes such as the Affordable Housing Scheme, National AYUSH Mission, PM Vishwakarma Yojana, PM SHRI School Scheme, and PM SVANidhi Scheme.

However, the AAP government neither utilised these funds nor allowed them to reach the public. As a result, the Centre had to directly reach out to the beneficiaries, she claimed.

Moreover, despite receiving a grant of Rs 3,760 crore, the AAP government failed to submit the required utilisation certificate, Gupta alleged.

In Metro projects, both the Centre and the state are expected to contribute equally, yet the AAP government never released its share, ”even after being reprimanded by the court, she charged.

In projects under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) too, the AAP government failed to provide its due support, she claimed. PTI SLB ARI