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Tag: Maken

  • Ajay Maken writes to Delhi L-G seeking probe into renovation at Kejriwal’s residence

    Ajay Maken writes to Delhi L-G seeking probe into renovation at Kejriwal’s residence

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    New Delhi: A day after alleging that renovation work at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence cost Rs 171 crore and not Rs 45 crore, Congress leader Ajay Maken on Monday wrote to Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, requesting his immediate intervention to ensure that public money is not misused and to initiate a probe into the matter.

    In the three-page letter to the L-G, Maken, who is a former Union minister, said, “I’m writing to express my deep concern and disappointment regarding the extravagant expenditure, environmental damage, and violation of heritage protection and zonal plans involved in the construction of the Chief Minister’s residence in Delhi.”

    In the letter, the Congress leader alleged that the construction of the new CM House has cost the exchequer around Rs 171 crore, including the relocation of 22 officers’ bungalows, with 15 out of 22 houses adjacent to CM’s house on Flagstaff Road being demolished or being vacated.

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    He said that this figure includes around Rs 126 crore spent on purchasing 21 new Type 5 flats in CWG Village to compensate for the housing shortage.

    Alleging violation of Master Plan Delhi (MPD) 2021, Maken said, “The new CM House has been constructed in the Civil Lines Old Bungalow Zone, an area protected under MPD 2021. The previous residence was a single-storey colonial-style building, which has been replaced by a three-storey structure with a basement (B+G+1+2) with a covered area of around 20,000 sq ft (almost double the previous covered area). This construction directly contradicts the MPD 2021 provisions, which aim to preserve the heritage and character of Lutyen’s Bungalow Zone and Civil Lines Old Bungalow Zone.”

    He also cited damage to environment due to removal of 28 full-grown trees, which contradicts the provisions of MPD 2021 that emphasise the importance of preserving green cover in these protected zones.

    The Congress leader alleged that work orders were seemingly split by PWD to keep them below Rs 10 crore, with the intent to avoid approval of the secretary/principal secretary, PWD (for works amounting to more than Rs 10 crore).

    “This was allegedly done by engineers of PWD in collusion with then PWD Minister Satyendar Jain, as required by the delegation of financial powers,” he said.

    He also alleged lack of concurrence from the finance department, deviations in procurement procedure and circumventing municipal laws and deceiving the Legislative Assembly.

    “In light of these concerns, I kindly request your immediate intervention to address these issues and ensure that public money is not misused, environmental damage is minimised, and heritage protection and zonal plans are strictly adhered to in future development projects. Upholding the principles of transparency, accountability, and responsible governance is crucial for the betterment of our society and for safeguarding the interests of the citizens.

    “I thus request you to conduct an inquiry into the above points. And if found guilty, grant sanction for prosecution of the principal beneficiary, the Chief Minister, and the principal perpetrator, then PWD Minister of GNCTD,” Maken said.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

  • Arvind Kejriwal, his associates shouldn’t be shown any support: Cong’s Ajay Maken

    Arvind Kejriwal, his associates shouldn’t be shown any support: Cong’s Ajay Maken

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    New Delhi: Former Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken on Sunday launched a scathing attack on AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, saying that individuals like him and his associates who face “serious corruption charges” should not be shown any sympathy or support.

    The stance by Maken, a former Union minister during the UPA government, is at variance with his party’s central leadership as Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had telephoned Kejriwal on Saturday, a day after the AAP convenor was summoned by the CBI, and expressed solidarity with the AAP leader.

    The statement comes at a time when efforts are being made to unite opposition parties and bring them together on a common platform.

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    In his call to Kejriwal, Kharge had stressed the need for opposition parties to unite against the BJP ahead of the 2024 general elections, according to sources.

    In a long Twitter post that came on the day of Kejriwal’s questioning by the CBI, Maken said, “I believe that individuals like Kejriwal and his associates who face serious corruption charges should not be shown any sympathy or support.”

    “The allegations of LiquorGate and GheeGate must be thoroughly investigated and those found guilty should be punished. It is important for all political leaders, including those from Congress, to recognize that the money gained through corrupt means by Kejriwal has been used against the Congress party in several states, including Punjab, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Delhi,” Maken said.

    Noting that Kejriwal founded the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in 2013 with the aim of fighting corruption, following the Anna Hazare movement, Maken said the party promised to enact the Lokpal Bill, which was viewed by the opposition parties as a solution to corruption in the Congress party.

    “However, Kejriwal dissolved his own government in February 2014, just 40 days after coming to power, demanding a strong Lokpal bill, which was later made public.

    “Despite this, in December 2015, Kejriwal introduced a watered-down version of the Lokpal Bill that differed greatly from the original bill proposed in 2014,” the former Delhi Congress chief said.

    This exposes the true character and intentions of Kejriwal, he added.

    The original bill, which formed the basis for dissolving his 40-day government, has yet to be implemented, Maken said.

    “Since 2015, Kejriwal and his party have failed to push for a stronger Lokpal bill. Instead, they have become known for their protests, marches, and counter-allegations only seeking more power. Now that Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Kejriwal, a stronger Lokpal bill instead, could have investigated the GheeGate allegations,” he argued.

    Maken also appealed to capable advocates and senior steering committee members to refrain from representing Kejriwal or his government in court.

    “While it is within their professional realm to represent anyone, doing so for Kejriwal’s government and associates sends the wrong message to our cadres and confuses them. It ultimately benefits the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by dividing Congress Party votes,” he said.

    Significantly, Congress steering committee member and advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi has represented the AAP in the past and Kejriwal has reportedly sought his legal counsel.

    Besides Kharge’s telephone call, the central leadership of the Congress has remained largely silent on Kejriwal summoning. Delhi Congress leaders, however, have been attacking Kejriwal over the liquor policy case.

    Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal was questioned by the CBI on Sunday in the excise policy case, amid protests by his party as the AAP chief accused the agency of acting at the behest of the BJP.

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    ( With inputs from www.siasat.com )