New Delhi, Mar 6 (IANS): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday accused the Delhi Municipal Corporation (MCD) being ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of financial irregularities in the construction of the Rani Jhansi flyover.

AAP leader and in-charge for MCD elections, Durgesh Pathak addressing a press conference on Saturday claimed that the Delhi unit of the BJP was involved in financial irregularities of Rs 546 crore in the project. The AAP leader levelled the charges of corruption against the BJP on the basis of an audit report of Rani Jhansi flyover.

He claimed that the project was sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 175 crore which was completed after spending Rs 724 crores in 24 years. "On the one hand, the Delhi government constructed the Shastri Park flyover in Rs 250 crore against the sanctioned amount of Rs 300 crore and the project was completed within one and a half years while the Rani Jhansi flyover estimated at Rs 175 crore was constructed in Rs 724 crore in 24 years under the BJP-led MCD," Pathak alleged.

He claimed that the audit report prepared by the MCD auditor has exposed various irregularities in the construction of the Rani Jhansi flyover.

Pathak also challenged the BJP to come out with the audit report and face the people of Delhi. "As per the rule, land acquisition for the construction of the flyover should have been done through a government agency but the BJP-ruled MCD did not follow the procedure. Around Rs 10 crore were spent without any approval from any official or agency," he added.

"We have heard a lot about the Rani Jhansi flyover and have the audit report of the Rani Jhansi flyover with us. I want to tell the BJP leaders that you cannot hide such documents for a long time, the truth will automatically come out," the AAP leader added.

Slamming the BJP on the basis of the audit report, the AAP leader said the decision to construct the Rani Jhansi flyover was made in 1995 and it was completed in 2018. "Tender processes and the cost of the flyover project were fixed at Rs 175 crore but the project was completed after spending Rs 724 crore, which means that the BJP leaders did corruption of around Rs 546 crore from this project."

Reading the audit report, the AAP leader said, "As per the rule, land acquisition for the construction of the flyover should have been done through a government agency but the BJP-ruled MCD did not follow the procedure. Unfortunately, the land-owning agency of the Rani Jhansi project was not a government agency. BJP leaders and the local engineers did a personal deal with every person. They created a new system and technique for owning every piece of land, which involved corruption by the BJP leaders."

Pathak added that there was a religious place on one of these government lands and it was acquired at a cost of Rs 26 crore and the amount was given to a person named Abhishek Gupta.

The auditor has raised objections on around 70 points.