Poonam Parashar flouts all norms to appoint her husband as a member of the library

Amidst heated controversies regarding BJP’s disastrous misgovernance in the MCD, the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday alleged that MCD’s Hardayal Library Secretary Poonam Parashar has flouted all norms to appoint her husband as a member of the library and award a lucrative job paying almost Rs 40 thousand a month to her son. Despite the obvious corruption of power, the MCD has failed to pay salaries to the library employees for 18 months citing lack of funds. AAP MLA & MCD In-Charge Shri Durgesh Pathak said, “BJP leaders are failing Delhiites everyday; they had themselves said MCD won’t face a fund crunch when Centre provides all funds. Despite citing a massive fund crunch, Poonam Parashar has overseen 10 new appointments. Poonam Parashar is a former BJP Councillor and her husband Anil Jha is the ex-MLA of Kirari. BJP has made it clear that there’s a larger conspiracy at hand by regularising the new employees within three months. AAP will handover all proofs to the LG and apprise him of this shameful series of events. AAP demands the LG to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and swift action against the Secretary and Centre to immediately pay the pending salaries of all the MCD employees.”

Senior AAP Leader and MLA Shri Durgesh Pathak said, “BJP-ruled MCD runs a reputed library of Delhi named Hardayal Library. The employees working in the library haven’t been paid their salaries for the past 18 months. The MCD is giving an excuse of unavailability of funds. When the erstwhile three municipal corporations were unified, BJP was claiming the Union Government will provide the funds to the MCD and the issue of shortage of funds will be solved. I want to ask the Union Government the reason for not providing the funds to the MCD. More importantly, why are the salaries of the employees yet to be disbursed?”

He asserted, “AAP has continuously exposed the corruption of the BJP as the root cause of fund shortage. Today, I am here to shed light on the mal-administration in the Hardayal Library. The BJP has shamelessly crossed all the limits. The library is run by a committee headed by a chairman who happens to be the Mayor. Its secretary has to be one of the councillors. It is the secretary who manages the daily affairs of the library. Currently, the Secretary of the library is Poonam Parashar who was a councillor before the dissolution of the three municipal corporations and their unification to a single body. Her husband Anil Jha is a former BJP MLA from Kirari and he holds multiple positions in the BJP.”

He added, “It is interesting to note that the moment Poonam Parashar became the secretary, she nominated Anil Jha as a lifetime member of the Committee. They did not stop here but they also hired their child to work in the library on Rs 38 thousand as monthly salary. What’s even ludicrous is the fact that on one hand, they don’t have to pay the salary and pension of the employees and on the other, they created an opening to hire 10 people. The recruitment process for those ten vacancies is quite interesting. They gave an advertisement on 19th and 23rd as the last date to apply for vacancies. Only the 10 people who applied for the job got appointed without any competition. These 10 people were initially given a temporary job but it was made permanent in merely three months.”

He continued, “Hardayal Library has become penniless and yet 10 people got a job. And who knows if an investigation is conducted, they might happen to be their people. Something is fishy and the way the BJP is running the MCD is happening. I even ask the people of BJP if they feel this was just? The new LG labelled the people of Delhi as ‘thieves’ and ‘dishonest’. I am going to write a letter to the LG with all the details and evidence regarding this matter. AAP demands an investigation from the LG as to how the Secretary of Management Committee appointed her husband as a lifetime member and together, they got a job for their child. He should also investigate the process of recruitment of 10 people and how they were made permanent within three months of joining.”

He said, “It is pertinent to conduct this investigation because it is the employees of the Hardayal Library who have to face the consequences of the rampant maladministration in the Management Committee. They work tirelessly to procure the books and ensure smooth management of the book so that Delhiites can study well for their bright future. It is high time that their salaries get paid.”

He concluded, “AAP is putting forth two demands. Firstly, the Union Government should immediately allocate funds to the MCD and all the pending salaries of the employees should be paid at the earliest. Secondly, the LG should conduct an investigation in the matter of maladministration by Poonam Parashar who did not follow the rule of law. She also gave a huge blow to the moral and ethical fabric of the society. All the appointments should be investigated.”