Sheila Dikshit ends Delhi MLAs meeting abruptly as BJP alleges irregularities

An angry Sheila Dikshit today abruptly ended a meeting to discuss proper implementation of various social welfare schemes after BJP MLAs attacked her alleging that government was outsourcing various important functions to NGOs limiting role of elected representatives.

The meeting of all the MLAs was convened by the chief minister to discuss effective implementation of developmental schemes under the Mission Convergence Programme of the city government.
   
Making the announcement that the meeting has ended, Dikshit left venue in a huff, after several BJP MLAs alleged "serious irregularities in implementation of the programme" and questioned her integrity making the programme a success.

"I convened the meeting at your request. As you are not ready to listen to us, I am ending it. Give me your suggestions in writing," she was quoted as saying by an MLA who attended the meeting.
   
Mission Convergence is a programme under which the government makes available benefits of various social welfare schemes like widow pension, old-age pension and other schemes without any hassle. The monitoring as well delivery of the programme is being looked after by Samajik Suvidha Sangam, a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
   
Several MLAs, who attended the meeting, claimed that following vociferous complaints by the party MLAs, Dikshit apparently got agitated and said "we should not have invited you to the meeting" prompting strong protest from the opposition MLAs.

As some MLAs then demanded apology from her for the comment and created noisy scene, Dikshit lost her cool and announced there is no point continuing the meeting and left the venue at the Delhi Secretariat, an official said.
   
Mission Convergence Programme functions under the direct tutelage of the chief minister.

Giving a run-down of the meeting, he said as various departments gave their presentation over implementation of the schemes, BJP MLA Sat Prakash Rana alleged that government was trying to curtail power of MLAs as after recommending names of beneficiaries for various benefits like widow pension and old-age pension by MLAs, NGOs have been rejecting the recommendations following "independent survey."

Senior BJP leader H S Bali also alleged that government has outsourced all its functions to dubious NGOs and government must give more power to the elected representatives, an MLA who attended the meeting said.

Following this, several BJP MLAs including Jagdish Mukhi started making allegations of irregularities in implementation of the Mission Convergence programme and said in the last one year not a single person has been granted old-age pension.

The Congress MLAs also shouted at BJP MLAs.