The high-voltage drama following Congress vice- president Rahul Gandhi joining the protest called by safai karamcharis was a stage-managed show, said rivals, as the Congress-led sanitation workers union did not call off the strike on Thursday to put the Gandhi scion in the limelight. The indefinite strike finally came to an end after the Delhi Government assured that they had released the funds.
Showing solidarity with the protesters, who are Class IV employees of the corporations, Rahul said at East MCD office, “If you want me to sit here for hours and listen to you, I will do that.” “You are not just sanitation workers, you are soldiers,” the Congress VP told MCD workers. The fierce strike called by sanitation worker unions is led by Congress, which in turn attempted to showcase the Congress scion as the hero behind the release of funds putting an end to the strike.
Amid the ongoing crisis, the Mayors of all three BJP-led corporations met the lieutenant-Governor and rued that the released amount is insufficient. Mayor of North Delhi Ravinder Gupta said that the amount of Rs326 crore released by the Delhi Government is not enough to clear salaries of the employees up to May 2015 whereas at least Rs600 crore is immediately required for paying salaries and disbursing pension.
Earlier in the day, after warning of a health epidemic, High Court on Friday directed the Government to ensure immediate release of funds to East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) to pay dues to employees for May and observed that sanitation workers cannot be expected to work without salaries.
The HC also expressed displeasure over Delhi Government’s submission that it will take a decision for release of funds in its Budget session and said, “Why should the poorest wait for their salaryIJ We have gone past promises. People on the ground are suffering. Why should they work without salaryIJ” the court observed and issued a slew of directions to immediately clear the “alarming proportions” of garbage, which has been piling on streets due to a strike by sanitation workers over non-payment of dues.
The HC voiced unhappiness over the Government’s submission that it will take a decision for release of funds in its Budget session and said, “It is unfair to say we will wait for the House to assemble. Call for an emergency session. It’s a serious issue, a health epidemic.” A Bench of justices S Muralidhar and IS Mehta directed the Commissioner of Police to constitute specific taskforces to be headed by an officer not below the rank of sub-inspector to oversee ward-wise garbage removal right away.
The Delhi Government on Friday said that it had released the funds to the MCD for dispensation of salaries of sanitation workers, which was brought to notice on Friday. Notably, the 12-day long strike of sanitation workers have resulted dumping of nearly 1,500 metric tonnes of garbage in the city.