The Delhi BJP on Monday described the AAP government’s special drive to clean the city by employing PWD and DJB staff as “flawed,” and said that the AAP’s claims of lifting garbage from all corners of the city were unsubstantiated as the visuals from three landfill sites do not suggest the same.

“This is yet another scam of the Kejriwal government, as the party claims to have lifted only 93 metric tonnes of garbage by 91 trucks deployed by the Delhi government which made 19 trips in last 24 hours,” said Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay.

“Since Saturday evening, the Delhi government has been claiming 91 PWD trucks are working round-the-clock to lift garbage from Delhi roads. Delhi has three garbage dumping sites at Ghazipur, Bhalaswa and Okhla and on a average one MCD truck makes at least four rounds from any area to its dumping site. On this basis instead of four, even if we assume the Kejriwal government’s PWD trucks make three rounds in a day at least 400 truck loads of garbage should have reached the three dumping sites which have a camera recorded entry points,” he said.

Alleging “corruption” in the Delhi government’s exercise to lift garbage, he claimed the strike-hit East Delhi Municipal Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation lifted far more garbage than the staff deployed by the AAP government. “AAP ministers, MLAs and leaders of the party have tried to mislead the people of Delhi through the photo-op on Sunday and claiming that 91 trucks were lifting garbage day and night to clean the city,” Mr Upadhyay said. “The 91 trucks making just 19 trips lifted 93 metric tonnes garbage. Where did the garbage vanish, how much diesel was consumed and how many labourers were paid We think there is big corruption in it,” he said.

Mr Upadhyay claimed the strike-hit EDMC and NDMC had lifted far more garbage than the staff deployed by the AAP government. EDMC mayor Harshdeep Malhotra said with half of the money spent on the one-day exercise, salaries for two months of the striking civic body employees would have been paid.

“The Delhi government is not paying us our dues of Rs 650 crore which could help in paying the employees on strike, but it is spending money on lifting garbage on its own.”

NDMC mayor Ravinder Gupta cited a letter by the municipal commissioner, saying the Delhi government was “falsely” claiming that it has given non-plan funds for payment of 12 months salaries to the municipal corporation employees. “In the letter written by commissioner P.K. Gupta, the NDMC has asked the Delhi government to release to us '651 crore so that salaries and pensions could be paid,” he said.

The mayors and the Delhi BJP chief also urged the striking employees of municipal corporations to end their strike in the larger interest of people and added that they will continue with their efforts to meet their demands.