Regularise contractual workers: Kejriwal to local bodies

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday asked Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain to direct local bodies to regularise the services of all contractual sanitation workers.

Later, the assembly also passed a resolution in this regard by a voice vote.

Kejriwal told the House that five sanitation workers of local bodies had been sitting on an indefinite hunger strike for the past 16 days and that he had urged them to break their fast.

"I request you to please break your fast, the whole assembly and the Chief Minister is with you," Kejriwal said.

The three municipal corporations of Delhi are ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Kejriwal asked BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta whether they would regularise the services of sanitation workers.

The Chief Minister said that in Gujarat and Haryana, which are BJP-ruled states, all workers were contractual.

"If we get Services (Department) today, we will show how to make workers permanent," he said.

The Delhi Services Department, which deals with appointments, is under Lt. Governor Anil Baijal.

Kejriwal also raised the issue of Delhi not featuring in central Finance Commission's list of states for receiving financial assistance from the central government, despite Delhi paying income tax of Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

"Delhi government will go to the Supreme Court on this matter," he said.

--IANS

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