Kejriwal govt deploys PWD workers to lift garbage from across the city
The Delhi government on Saturday deployed hundreds of PWD workers to lift garbage from across the city as nearly 60,000 sanitation workers of municipal corporations continued their indefinite strike demanding payment of their dues amid a blame game over the issue between the AAP and BJP, which rules the three civic bodies.
In more bad news, over 7,000 doctors and 10,000 nurses of hospitals run by the municipal corporations also went on indefinite strike demanding salary and arrears. Around 12,000 engineering staff of the civic bodies also joined the stir.
The Delhi government has been maintaining that it has provided adequate funds of over Rs 2,187 crore under non-planned head to the three municipal corporations in the current fiscal, alleging that a “salary scam” has led to the crisis.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is in Bengaluru for naturopathy treatment, said he has issued direction to deploy as many trucks as needed to clear the city of garbage and accused the BJP of playing politics on the issue.
“I have directed govt to deploy as many trucks as are needed to lift garbage. Public should not be inconvenienced,” he tweeted.
“The BJP is spreading garbage across the city. The AAP government is clearing them. Own politics. I appeal to people to help us clearing the garbage,” he further said.
On the fourth day of the strike by the sanitation workers, hundreds of BJP workers joined the agitators extending the party’s solidarity with them.
“The Delhi government is responsible for the crisis. It has not allocated adequate funds to the three municipal corporations. They are not bothered about the problem being faced by the people,” Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said.
Slamming the municipal corporations, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia asked where the money released by the Delhi government has gone and alleged a “salary scam” in the BJP-ruled civic bodies.
“There is a salary scam and that is why they are not being able to pay the dues,” he told a press conference.
He said people are suffering due to the strike by sanitation workers and alleged that the BJP was doing politics over the issue.
“Cleaning of Delhi is the most important thing for us and keeping this in mind, PWD has started removing heaps of garbage in different areas since morning. 91 PWD vehicles are lifting waste across the capital. Around 10 labours have been deployed in each vehicle. We have also informed the police about our cleanness drive and asked them to provide security to PWD staff in case anyone obstructs the drive. The court recently directed the police in this regard,” the deputy chief minister said.
The decision was taken at a meeting on the garbage problem chaired by Mr Sisodia. He said the government will continue with drive till the strike of sanitation workers ends.
“In the Budget, we had set aside money to be given to all three municipal corporations in which there were different components under plan and non-plan heads. Money for salary of employees for 12 months were also mentioned under both heads,” he said.
The deputy chief minister also wondered why the MCDs were not seeking Rs16,00 crore owed to them by the Delhi Development Authority.
“I want to challenge the MCD to make their all expenditures public so that people will get to know what they have done with funds collected from different sources,” he said.
A senior government official said that PWD minister Satyendar Jain has formed task force in every district to clear out the garbage.
Cabinet ministers and AAP MLAs may also join the cleanliness drive from Sunday in their respective constituencies.
The doctors, nurses and engineering staff joined the protest demanding their dues. Almost all the MCD-run hospitals only run emergency services Saturday.
