MCD Workers On Strike, Dump Garbage Outside Manish Sisodia’s House

MCD staged a protest outside Manish Sisodia’s residence, demanding “immediate” release of funds for their salaries.

MCD workers stage a demonstration to press for release of their pending salaries in New Delhi. (Photo : IANS)

Scores of sanitation workers from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) today staged a protest outside Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s official residence, demanding an “immediate” release of funds for their salaries. They also threatened to suspend work for an “indefinite” period if their demands are not met.

<p> It has been two-three months that the workers have not received their salaries. Despite repeated requests, our demands have gone unheard. </p>

<b> Sanjay Gehlot, President, Mazdoor Vikas Samyukta Morcha</b>

Sanjay Gehlot, president of Mazdoor Vikas Samyukta Morcha, claimed that employees from all the three civic bodies have taken part in the strike. Besides salaries, the employees are seeking payment of arrears, regularisation of contract-based employees and unification of the three corporations.

MCD workers place mounds of garbage outside Sisodia’s residence in a protest over non-payment of dues. (Photo: ANI Screen Grab)

Protest Outside CM’s House on Wednesday

The workers staged a protest outside Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence to demand an “immediate” release of funds for payment of their salaries and arrears, threatening to go on an “indefinite” strike if their demands were not met. As part of the protest, United Front of MCD Employees, an umbrella group of MCD workers’ unions, will hold a dharna at Jantar Mantar later today. “Around 20 unions have joined us over the demands,” Rajendra Mewati, general secretary of the Front, said.

Instant Hearing by High Court

As sanitation workers struck work over non-payment of salaries, Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to ensure that civic agencies keep the national capital clean as per the ‘Swachh Bharat’ policy and directed the police to ensure there was no hindrance in garbage removal by the municipalities.

<p> Commissioner of Police (B S Bassi) to ensure that the garbage are removed from the roads in coordination with the Municipal Corporations</p>

<b> A High Court bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath</b>

Highlighting the ‘Swachh Bharat’ cess the bench asked the centre to ensure the agencies were put to work immediately. 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 MCDs, public works department (PWD) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

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.

The court said that the non-payment of salary was a problem, but it was not an excuse for inefficiency on part of the civic bodies.

MCD workers stage a demonstration to press for release of their pending salaries in New Delhi. (Photo : IANS)

BJP Misleading People, Employees Over Sanitation Issue: AAP

The AAP today blamed the Centre and the BJP-controlled MCD for not disbursing salaries to sanitation workers and said it was a “moral and constitutional obligation” of the civic agencies to keep Delhi clean.

AAP’s Delhi unit secretary, Dilip Pandey, claimed the city government had already paid the civic bodies to ensure that the employees get their salaries on time. He alleged that the BJP was “misleading” the people of Delhi and the employees of the three corporations over the issue. The erstwhile unified MCD was trifurcated into – North, South and East corporations (NDMC, SDMC and EDMC) in 2012.

“The BJP-led corporations have functionally and financially collapsed and corruption is the main reason behind this. The BJP is trying to create a confusion among people that the Kejriwal government has some role to play in it.” Pandey claimed.

Accusing BJP of doing “dirty politics” over the issue, Tourism Minister Kapil Mishra also claimed there is a “conspiracy” to make Delhiites reside in the middle of garbage.

<p> There has been corruption of crores of rupees in the municipal corporations. That is why they are not able to even release the salaries of their staff despite receiving all their dues from the government and taxes from people.</p>

<b> Kapil Mishra</b>

According to the government, the entire amount of Rs 892.92 crore for NDMC and Rs 465 crore for the EDMC under the same head have been released by it. In case of the SDMC, an amount of Rs 668 crore (80 percent of the total) has been released, it added. “On the one hand, mayors are saying they don’t have money for the salaries of their staff, but they have Rs 300 crore lying unspent in their account,” claimed Mishra.