The Aam Aadmi Party’s Bijwasan MLA, Colonel Devender Sehrawat, has written to the chief secretary alleging that the former area legislator had ‘misused’ the MLA funds for self-advertising. He claimed that the road signboards put up in the area by Sat Prakash Rana, the former BJP MLA, has his name painted on almost all of those.
Mr. Sehrawat has also written a letter to the Lokayukta requesting to look into the matter. He said 68 signboards on unipoles and welcome boards at the entrance to colonies were erected during Mr. Rana’s tenure by the flood and irrigation department. “These boards were meant to help commuters with directions, but he (Rana) got his name inscribed on all of those. This is sheer misappropriation of funds,” said the AAP MLA.
He said as per the information he has accessed, Mr. Rana spent a total of Rs. 93.03 lakh – Rs. 7.6 lakh from the district commissioner fund, Rs. 8.9 lakh from the district development committee fund, and Rs. 79.38 lakh from the MLA fund - from the government funds on these boards. “Interestingly, the officials never took notice of this and turned a blind eye to this self-advertisement.”
However, Mr. Rana said he did put up many signboards in his constituency, but those with his name painted were on his personal expenses. “He (Sehrawat) is trying to malign my image.”
Mr. Sehrawat has asked chief secretary K.K. Sharma, to impose heavy penalty on the former MLA and the expenditure, which will be incurred to take these boards down, should be charged from him.
