MCD workers, Opposition criticise AAP govt move

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s decision to extend a loan of Rs 551 crore to the North and East Delhi Municipal Corporations was criticised by the Opposition party and the protesting MCD employees on Wednesday.

“The loan amount announced by (Mr) Kejriwal is too little to solve the problem. The Central government should also come forward to end the crisis. We will continue our strike unless some concrete measure is taken to meet our demands,” said Sanjay Gehlot, president of Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha.

The mayors of North and East Delhi said they will accept Rs 551 crore as a “grant” only because Delhi government is yet to pay Rs 3,000 crore to the municipal corporations under the Third Delhi Finance Commission.

“The loan being extended is a blackmail by the Delhi government because the East Delhi Municipal Corporation is not able to pay any interest. We will take it as a grant since we have not been paid as per the recommendations of the Third Delhi Finance Commission,” said East Delhi mayor Harshdeep Malhotra.

North Delhi mayor Ravindra Gupta attacked Mr Kejriwal for alleging financial bungling by the BJP-ruled MCDs. “Payment of salaries of employees is our first priority. We will treat the loan offered by the government as a grant because it has failed to settle our dues,” he said.

Mr Gupta said he was not against a CBI probe into the functioning of the MCDs, but an investigation should also be conducted into the allegations of graft against the AAP government.

A demonstration will be held at the Civic Centre and effigies of the AAP and the BJP will be torched on Thursday. Besides, a protest will also be staged in Geeta Colony, said the strike leaders.

The commissioners of the East and North Delhi Municipal Corporations appealed to the striking employees to call off their protest in the interest of people of the city and said they are in the process of getting funds for their salaries till January.

Despite the loan, questions are being raised on how the cash-strapped municipal corporations would pay salaries to their employees after January 31.

Reacting to the AAP administration’s decision, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said the Kejriwal government has already accepted the recommendations of the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission, meaning that the CM is aware the three corporations need about Rs 12,000 crore for their smooth functioning. “The Fourth Finance Commission has recommended about Rs 8,000 crore per year for the municipal corporations and the Kejriwal government has accepted this, then how can the CM now talk about frauds in the municipal corporations instead of releasing justified funds to the municipal corporations,” he said.

Taking a dig at Mr Kejriwal, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken tweeted: “Now when Delhi stinks — Kejriwal gives `550 crore loan. We gave Rs 1,000 crore loan in 2012-13. No Strike — No Stink. No drama and fuss.”

Mr Kejriwal’s announcement of loan followed a letter written to him and his deputy Manish Sisodia by lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung in which he had reportedly said that the ongoing strike had created an “Emergency-like” situation. The L-G had said that the strike would lead to a serious law and problem. He had requested Mr Kejriwal to take a humanitarian approach and provide conditional loan to the municipal bodies to pay salaries to their employees.

Over 60,000 municipal workers have been on a strike for over a week. Their protests have led to mounds of garbage piling up across the city. The strike has also left the health services in the hospitals run by the civic bodies crippled, besides leaving routine sanitation work in a disarray. About 5,000 resident doctors, 2,000 consultants, 13,200 nurses and other paramedical staff of the municipal hospitals have been on strike since Monday.