Delhi government owes Rs 2380 crore to three civic bodies

NEW DELHI: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Wednesday claimed that the Delhi government owes Rs 2,380 crore to the three civic bodies in the national capital and said the non-payment of dues was responsible for their critical financial health.
The sanitation workers of the East Corporation are on strike for the last five days over unpaid salaries. Huge deficit marks the budget of the North and the East Corporations, where erratic salaries keep the workers and their families in trouble.
The pending payment Rs 2,380 crore was part of the recommendations of the third Finance Commission.
The members of the standing committee of the civic bodies appealed to the Centre to sack the Delhi government as it had failed to release the funds recommended by the Finance Commission.
A resolution, moved by leader of the house Subhash Arya, was passed against the non-payment in South Corporation standing committee.
"The government does not do us any favour. It collects the funds and pays our share to us. The government withholding the money has resulted in a financial crunch," said standing committee member Dharamvir Awana.
"An AAP leader claim on national TV that the Delhi government is paying 300% more to the civic bodies than what was being paid earlier is a lie," said leader of the opposition Farhad Suri.
The members also alleged that the AAP government was using people on government payroll to campaign in Punjab election.