Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak on Sunday condemned the BJP-ruled municipal corporation for allegedly planning to introduce proposal aiming to hand over the functioning of the weekly markets to the private contractors.
Pathak said that thousands of poor will lose their jobs after the system handed over to private players. “The private mafia will set up shops of its own people which will encourage corruption. The AAP will oppose this proposal in the upcoming standing committee meeting if this resolution is tabled in the house meeting. The party will also take to the streets and protest against such a move,” he said.
However, Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said that the AAP was trying to mislead the shopkeepers by saying that MCDs will give contracts to private persons to organize the markets.
Kapoor said that the BJP will not allow discussion on any such proposal brought by the officers. “Under the leadership of Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta, all three municipal corporations are committed to ensure best livelihood for small shopkeepers of weekly markets and they will not be privatized till BJP is in power in civic bodies. These markets are operated by shopkeepers themselves and it will remain so in future too,” he said.
Pathak said “On one side, Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is working for the betterment of those who are getting their daily wages by putting up shops at the footpaths of the weekly local markets as they have faced the most adversities during the Covid-19 pandemic. While on the other side, the Bharatiya Janata Party is planning to bring such proposal,’ he said.
The AAP leader further added that in Delhi, various weekly markets are opened in the different zones and the market operations are overlooked by the local association which is made up of people from the local RWAs and people of the local weekly market so that there is no problem in the overall proper functioning of the weekly markets. “The BJP is bringing a proposal in order to sell the entire market operations of the weekly markets. Private contractors will be hired who will handle the functioning of the markets under this proposal,” he said.
The event was presided by Madhu Pandit Dasa, Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, and Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice-Chairman of the organisation. Delhi Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain was also present on the occasion.
Dasa said, “Akshaya Patra is conscious of its responsibility towards society. We have always strived to assist the government''s efforts to bring relief to people during emergencies. We will continue with this as long as we can.”