North Delhi civic staff too goes on strike

A section of North Delhi Municipal Corporation (North MCD) employees went on strike on Tuesday over non-payment of salaries, an employees' union official said.

The escalation of protest action happened even as East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) employees -- despite repeated appeals by the Delhi government -- refused to withdraw their strike they started on Friday.

United Front of MCD Employees General Secretary Rajendra Mewati told IANS that employees joining the protest included sanitation workers, engineers, teachers and gardeners among others.

He said the staff had not received their salaries for the last two to four months.

The Delhi government, meanwhile, released details of funds given to North MCD, according to which, it had already released Rs 1,103.91 crore till date during the current financial year.

This figure stood at around Rs 767 crore in 2012-13, Rs 802 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 848 crore in 2014-15.

In 2015-16, when the Aam Aadmi Party was in power, the Delhi government released around Rs 1,207 crore, it said.

On Sunday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia released figures for East DMC as well, according to which the Delhi government gave Rs 609 crore till date in the current financial year, and Rs 702 crore in 2015-16.

In contrast, earlier, when the AAP did not rule in Delhi, the amount allotted was much less -- Rs 441 crore in 2014-15, Rs 416 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 399 crore in 2012-13, Sisodia said.

Sisodia urged striking civic employees to resume work as the government had released funds for their salaries.

Even as some sanitation workers resumed work on Tuesday after Sisodia's intervention, a section refused to call off the strike and said they would resume work only after their salaries were credited into their bank accounts.

"Confusion was created yesterday (Monday) by spreading rumours that the strike had been called off. Due to this, sanitation workers are angry and spreading garbage on streets in protest," Mewati said.

--IANS

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