Taking a dim view of the ongoing strike by sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) over non-payment of their three-month salaries, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday came down on the Delhi Government and said salaries of sanitation workers should be paid on time.
NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar upbraided the AAP Government and the EDMC over the garbage
strewn around the city and observed that the “public was suffering due to the tussle between them.”
A Bench headed by Justice Kumar sought a detailed report from the Delhi Government and the civic bodies by Friday with all records regarding fund allocation for the payment of dues to sanitation workers.
“The salaries of employees should be paid on time without delay and default...let everybody wake up now. Enough is enough! Tomorrow (Friday) all the officers should be present and file appropriate answers duly supported by records,” the Bench said.
The Bench also asked the Delhi Government to place on record the order of the Delhi High Court which asked the authorities to remove the garbage in the trans-Yamuna area.
The AAP Government and the three BJP-ruled civic bodies have been at loggerheads over release of funds. While the corporations have been crying over denial of their rightful claims over funds, the Delhi Government blamed them for the mismanagement of funds.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Manish Sisodia said, “We have released funds in excess to the municipal corporations. Out sincerity should be judged from the fact that we have not deducted a penny as interest. During the Sheila Dikshit Government, they used to release funds to the three corporations only after deducting interest components, but we have sanctioned funds to them on zero interest”.
Sisodia accused the BJP-run civic bodies of being neck deep in corruption. “The AAP Government had released Rs 119 crore to the EDMC on Monday. Enough funds have been given to the municipal bodies, but one doesn’t know where that money is being flushed out,” Sisodia said.
“In 2012-13, Rs 399 crore was given as fund to EDMC, Rs 416 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 441 crore in 2014-15. We had released Rs 702 crore under non-Plan head in 2015-16, and in 2016-17, we have released Rs 609 crore so far. Also, till 2015 these funds were released with Rs 60-70 crore of loan adjustment. We gave EDMC funds without deducting even a single penny but where did the money go,” he added.
Meanwhile, according to South Delhi Municipal Corporation, it has received only Rs 864.10 against Rs 1009.91 in financial year 2015-16 and a total amount Rs 816.32 crore was due from 2012. While the North Municipal Corporation claimed that it had received Rs 892.92 against Rs 1131.80 in 2015-16 and the total due amount was Rs 854.65 crore from 2012 to 2016. Cash-strapped EDMC data shows that it received Rs 571.24 against Rs 777.26 in 2015-16.
However, EDMC officials said that the corporation had not received its due. In a joint Press conference on Thursday all the three Mayors alleged that the corporations were not given the Rs 2,380 crore as per the recommendations of the third Finance Commission.
EDMC officials maintained that there was no scope for salaries for employees in the funds that had been allotted to them. “Our monthly expenditure is around Rs 130 crore and revenue is Rs 30 crore annually. We face revenue deficit every year and in these circumstances we cannot pay them regularly.
Senior officials of all three corporations said that the recommendation of the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission (DFC) should be implemented. They said that according to it the share would be increased to 12 per cent as against 4 per cent recommended by the Third DFC. They further said that the Fourth DFC implemented Delhi entertainment and betting tax should be assigned to municipalities. “Once these recommendations are implemented our financial crunch will end,” they added.