Over two dozen civic infrastructure projects in various areas of North Delhi may get stalled as a mob allegedly took away files related to these projects. The mob was led by a close associate of a Municipal Councillor.
The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) lodged a complaint in this regard at Bharat Nagar police station on Monday. In its complaint, NMC said that tender documents and others files, which were kept on the table of Executive Engineer (M-IV), Civil lines Zone on July 18, have gone missing ever since the incident took place. Despite repeated efforts, the files could not be found.
"It appears that the files have been lost during the incident and may have been stolen by the mob led by Chandresh, a close associate of Congress councillor Sonia from Nimri Colony (ward number-65)," the complaint said.According to the complaint, the missing files related to safety arrangements for damaged drains, improvement of community toilet blocks, construction of walk-way, improvement of lanes by providing ready mix concrete, improvement of parks and drainage system in different wards.
A cheque book bearing some filled cheques and 41 blank cheques were also missing along with a court file and two matured tenders files. A senior NMC official said that all development works have been affected as the files are not traceable.
"With the files missing, all formalities will have to be re-started for getting necessary approvals. This will be a time-consuming process. By the time necessary formalities are completed, all works shall remain stalled," the official added.
Accepting that Chandresh is her close associate and friend of her husband's, councillor Sonia alleged that the Corporation's complaint was politically motivated to defame her by the ruling BJP and some officials with vested interest.
"Over 200 residents of my wards went to the Executive Engineer's office at Shakti Nagar, where the Corporation officials misbehaved with the women. To protect themselves, few women threw some papers on the officials. However, no one stole any file as is the allegation leveled against Chandresh. Executive Engineer has filed the complaint on the behest of BJP leaders," she alleged.