NDMC enforcement department running 'corruption racket': Karan Singh Tanwar, Vice Chairman

NEW DELHI: NDMC Vice Chairman and former BJP MLA Karan Singh Tanwar today claimed that the civic body's enforcement department was running a " corruption racket" as its officials "extort money on a monthly basis and give it to the big bosses of NDMC".

Tanwar, who last month took over as the council's Vice Chairman for a second term, also accused AAP MLA Surinder Singh of extorting money from NDMC employees and blackmailing those not obeying his instructions.

"NDMC's enforcement department has become a corrupt department... a corruption racket. They conduct raids, extort money on a monthly basis and and give it to the big bosses of NDMC," Tanwar, a three-time former BJP MLA from the Delhi Cantonment seat, told a press conference here.

The current chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is Naresh Kumar.

Tanwar said that things have improved with the appointment of the new head even as he claimed that there are inquiries pending against former NDMC chairmans, who have been accused of corruption.

"There have been allegations of corruption against former chairmans and inquiries are pending against them. After the appointment of the current chairman, things have changed but there are a few people who still terrorise poor residents and collect bribe," he charged.

Taking on AAP MLA Singh, who had defeated him in the Delhi Cantonment Assembly seat, Tanwar alleged, "Singh extorts lakhs from all NDMC departments on a monthly basis and an employee who refused to yield to his demands had to bear the brunt when he attacked employees in an area which is nowhere under his jurisdiction."

Tanwar sought the Prime Minister and Home Minister's intervention to ensure Singh's arrest and also appealed to the President to cancel his membership of Delhi Assembly in view of the activities.

Singh was booked last week for allegedly manhandling an NDMC worker when he along with a team of civic officials had apprehended an e-rickshaw driver to check his documents.

Tanwar further alleged that Singh is illegally using the prefix "commando" before his name and said he will raise the issue with the army tribunal.

Singh, who is also a member of NDMC by virtue of being the Delhi Cantonment MLA, could not be contacted for comments.