The Delhi Government versus Delhi Municipal Corporation versus sanitation workers impasse finally came to an end on Monday with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal declaring a release of Rs293 crore and Rs575 crore for the East and North Delhi Municipal Corporations respectively and blamed the BJP-governed civic bodies’ misappropriation of funds for their sordid state of affairs.
Addressing the safai karamcharis at Ramlila Maidan over non-payment of salaries, CM said the BJP workers in municipal corporations have only been playing politics against the AAP Government by demanding funds.
“last year the EDMC got Rs178 crore as grants from the Delhi Government during President’s Rule, this time we have released Rs293 crore to it. While Rs327 crore was released to NMC last year, this time we are giving Rs575 crore,” said Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
CM highlighted that it has been a “tough” decision for Delhi Government since the Centre allegedly has been “creating obstructions” to release funds to the Kejriwal Government. Notably, like last time, the Delhi Government again didn’t mention the head from which the money has been released to the civic bodies. In April 2015, when the Delhi Government claimed to have released funds to MCD, NMC and EDMC had alleged that what Government released was Rs226.66 crore in the education head under non-Plan schemes which can only be used for education-related works.
Deputy CM Manish Sisodia alleged that the funds for the municipal corporations have been diverted by the BJP councillors. “The non-plan expenditure budget reveals that income expenditure has been lessened by BJP whereas money given to Mayors has been increased. The money that could be used to pay employees is being used to build stadia and swimming pools,” Sisodia said.
“Never has there been a situation when MCD has been so short of funds that it’s unable to pay its employees. But after AAP came to power, within a month the BJP said that they didn’t have funds to pay employees. Who is governing the MCD, BJP or AAPIJ They are simply politicising the issue,” said Kejriwal. Meanwhile the BJP councillors of all three corporations staged a dharna outside civic centre to demand release of funds.
“Arvind Kejriwal is politicising the issue of release of salaries of employees on the condition of having direct dialogue with the employees of North and East Delhi Municipal Corporations in the name of addressing their grievances,” said Ravinder Gupta, Mayor of North Delhi.
While releasing the funds, Kejriwal cautioned the workers to stage dharna against the “corrupt” MCD and not against the Delhi Government if next month’s salary is not released. “It is not the duty of the Delhi Government to provide salaries to sanitation workers, but the MCDs,” he said.