Delhi Congress on Monday held protests across the city accusing the Centre and Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi Government of being responsible for the poor fiscal health of municipal corporations. The demonstrations were held at all the 12 zones of the three municipal corporations by Congress workers where effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal were set alight. AICC general secretary PC Chacko and Delhi Congress Chief Ajay Maken led the protest outside the Central zone’s office of the corporation in South Delhi’s lajpat Nagar. “The financial condition of municipal corporations has deteriorated. They don’t have money to pay their staff. Contractor workers are also not being made permanent. BJP-led Central Government and AAP Government are responsible for the poor fiscal health of civic bodies,” Maken told reporters.
Maken said during Congress’ regime, the municipal corporations didn’t face any financial hardship and the salaries of staff were disbursed timely. “We are holding a protest at all the 12 zones of municipal corporations. In 2012-2013, the Congress Government in Delhi had allocated Rs3,128 crore to the MCDs, but in the 2014-2015 Budget, Central Government had subtracted Rs651 crore from the MCD funds during President’s Rule and now, AAP Government has knocked off Rs62 crore from the civic bodies’ fund,” he said.
Party workers burnt effigies of Modi and Kejriwal and raised slogans against their Governments during the protest. Maken compared the plight of cash-strapped corporations to that of a soccer match saying, “Both Centre and AAP-led Government have turned corporations into a soccer game. When officials of corporations approach AAP Government for funds, they are kicked to the Central Government. When they (civic bodies) go to the Centre, they are kicked back to the city Government.”
Maken said Delhi was developed and beautified by the Congress Government and the Congress party would not allow the Capital to be turned into a living hell. If the condition of MCDs is not improved, Maken warned Congress would intensify its agitation and gherao the leaders of AAP and BJP. Another Congress leader PC Chacko alleged that for the last two months, several pensions have been stopped, saying the party would continue taking up the cudgels for the staff of municipal corporations.