New Delhi: A portion of a parapet above the first floor of a building in MCD-run Hindu Rao Hospital collapsed on Friday, triggering a blame game between the AAP and the BJP-controlled civic body. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the saffron party-controlled MCD of "tinkering with the lives" of innocent people, while the latter claimed it has "not received timely grants" from the AAP-led Delhi government for the last two years for maintenance of infrastructure of health institutions.
"A portion of a parapet above the first floor of a building Hindu Rao Hospital collapsed today," a senior civic official said. However, no one was injured in the incident. A car was damaged after a portion of the debris fell on it. It was not immediately known the exact cause of the collapse, the official said. The AAP hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the incident and alleged that it is doing nothing during its 15-year reign at the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) but "corruption" and "maladministration". "Who would have taken responsibility had there been a loss of life and property in this accident?" AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak asked.
He said the building of Hindu Rao Hospital is so dilapidated that it could not withstand a long rain spell. "Despite the fact that a fan had fallen in Hindu Rao Hospital a few days earlier, the administration did nothing about it," he claimed. Today's incident is the result of BJP-controlled MCD's negligence and apathy, he charged.
"The MCD elections are not far away now," Pathak said, claiming, "people of Delhi have made up their mind to reject the BJP and bring Arvind Kejriwal's AAP at the helm". "BJP should feel ashamed. For how much longer will they tinker with the lives of innocent people? People brought them to power with hope and faith. They should have spent the MCD funds on the development of Delhi and the welfare of people of Delhi," he claimed.
Meanwhile, the MCD in a statement said, "The Municipal Corporation of Delhi has not received timely grants from the Delhi government under the capital head for the last two years." "Funds provided under the capital head are used for maintenance and upkeep of hospital buildings. Due to non-payment of funds from the Delhi government, MCD is not being able to carry out maintenance work of hospital building as per the need," it claimed.
Though MCD is trying its best to carry out necessary repair and maintenance work from its wafer thin revenue, yet the release of funds by Delhi government which is pending for last two years will certainly help in keeping the hospital capital assets in good shape. It is hoped that the government will "act sensitively in the matter and release the pending funds" for public welfare, it added.
In another statement, the MCD said the Corporation has deployed "11 anti-smog guns for controlling dust pollution". "Working in this direction, MCD has deployed two anti-smog guns at SLF Bhalswa to control air pollution, three at C&D plants (Rani Khera, Burari and Jahangir Puri), one at SLF Okhala, one at C&D waste processing plant Bakkarwala, one at SLF Ghazipur, one at C&D plant Shastri Park and two at Civic Centre, the MCD's headquarters," it said. (PTI)
