The mayors of three BJP-ruled municipal corporations on Thursday discussed the “crisis” caused by the municipal workers’ strike with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and claimed the Delhi Government is likely to give Rs307 crore more to pay their salaries.
“Sisodia admitted the crisis is real and there should be no delay in payment of salaries to the striking employees. He also admitted North and East municipal corporations needed more money.
“Sisodia said he will talk to the lt Governor and (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal for the release of additional Rs307 crore to North and East municipal corporations,” North Delhi Mayor Ravinder Gupta said after the meeting at the Secretariat.
The mayors told Sisodia releasing some money is not a permanent solution to the financial crisis faced by them.
“We asked him for a permanent solution and told him the loans (extended) by the Delhi Government will put pressure on the municipal corporations which are not in a position to pay interest,” said East Delhi Mayor Harshdeep Malhotra.
“We told him we will accept the loan of Rs551 crore as an installment of Rs3,000 crore yet to be paid by the Government to the municipal corporations,” said South Delhi mayor Subhash Arya.
The mayors said they have appealed to the Government and the striking employees to help them restore essential services of sanitation, health and education provided by the municipal corporations.
“We have appealed to the municipal corporation employees to call off their strike considering the hardships faced by people of Delhi and urged the Kejriwal Government to help us restore sanitation, health and education services,” Gupta said.