The Delhi Congress on Monday alleged that both the BJP and AAP Government were equally responsible for the strike by East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) sanitation workers that was called off in the evening, charging the latter with less allocation of funds which resulted in a shortfall of around Rs 1,600 crore to the civic body.
Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said when the party was in power in Delhi, there was no crisis of payment of salaries and arrears to MCD employees, including the sanitation workers. “The annual plan outlay of MCD during Congress regime saw a growth of 11 per cent in 2011-12 and 11.76 per cent in 2013-14.
“In the next three years, including the President’s Rule and two years of AAP Government, the plan outlay saw a shortfall of around Rs 1,600 which has led to the financial crisis at the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC),” Maken said in a Press conference.
If the situation remained the same, party leader Rahul Gandhi may have to intervene like he had done earlier during a sanitation workers’ strike in 2015. Gandhi had joined them and promised to help them whenever it was needed, he added.
He accused the AAP Government of “stalling” funds.
“The BJP-led Centre and EDMC are equally responsible for the situation today,” he alleged.