The Delhi high court on Wednesday asked the Centre and the Delhi police to ensure that the civic agencies keep the national capital clean as per the Swachchh Bharat policy and directed the police to ensure there was no hindrance in garbage removal by the municipalities.
“Commissioner of police (B.S. Bassi) to ensure that the garbage is removed from the roads in coordination with the municipal corporations,” a bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said.
Another bench of Justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva said “the Swachchh Bharat campaign or policy has to be accepted and complied with by all. There is Swachchh Bharat cess also. Delhi is becoming a garbage dump. You (the Centre) have to ensure these agencies work. Please do so. We want action.”
The bench made the request noting that despite its orders to civic agencies to maintain three areas in Delhi as models of cleanliness, the areas “have showcased inefficiency” of the various authorities, including municipal corporations, public works department (PWD) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB).
The directions of the two benches of the high court came on a day when a large number of municipal and sanitation workers went on a three-day strike to demand regular salaries and payment of arrears and staged protests in various parts of the capital.
The Centre told the bench of Justices Ahmed and Sachdeva that if the agencies were not complying with orders, the court may take appropriate action against the persons responsible.
The MCDs in their defence contended that their sweepers and other employees were on strike as they had not been paid salaries for last three months as no financial aid was coming from the Delhi government.
