Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri urged Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to immediately provide financial assistance to the all three municipal Corporations in Delhi.
The LoP said that the government should immediately release the grant-in-aid and transfer duty for the first quarter of the financial year 2020-21 as first step. “It has already become due and must be paid without loss of time in view of the coronavirus pandemic,” he said, adding that no progress has so far been made in this matter despite making repeated request.
Bidhuri said that the financial condition of the North-Delhi Municipal Corporation (NMC) is very serious as it has not been able to pay salaries to staff due to the acute shortage of funds. “In view of the prevailing corona pandemic, it is essential that Delhi Government should help the civic body so that thousands of its coronavirus warriors could come out of the grave financial crisis due to the non-payment of salaries. The Delhi Government must immediately release the first installment of grant-in-aid and transfer duty,” he added.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, he expressed deep concern over the alarming situation of NMC coronavirus warriors including doctors, nurses, para-medical staff who have not been paid their salaries for the last two months i.e. February and March.
“The safai karamcharis are carrying out their duties despite the great risk to their lives even without being paid. Not only the coronavirus warriors but the other employees of Groups A, B, C, and D have also not been paid their salaries,” he said, adding that the daily wager employees who are at the lowest rung of the hierarchy have not been paid for the last two months and with April inching towards end, there is no hope of getting the salary.
Bidhuri said that the pensioners most of which survive on the monthly pension are still eagerly waiting for their pensions. “The majority of the pensioners keep on making inquiry from their respective bank branches if the pension has been credited to their account. But they have nothing except disappointment each time,” he said.
All three BJP-run Corporations have demanded the Delhi government to release the grant-in-aid and transfer duty for the first quarter of the financial year 2020-21 to the Corporations.