BJP, Cong asks Delhi govt to enhance special allowance of staff fighting COVID-19

Opposition BJP and Congress on Sunday asked the Delhi government to enhance the amount given as ex gratia and special allowance to its employees on the frontline in the fight against coronavirus.

In his letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi Congress president Anil Kumar highlighted the problems faced by doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, sanitation workers, police personnel and other employees and demanded a special (emergency) allowance for them.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly and BJP MLA Ramvir Singh Bidhuri also wrote a letter to the chief minister, urging him to announce Rs 1 crore for all Delhi government employees on duty to protect people during the crisis.

Bidhuri welcomed the government's decision to give ex-gratia of Rs 1 crore to doctors, nurses, and other medical staff in case of death on duty during the pandemic and said all other employees should be covered under the scheme.

"In the fight against coronavirus, the employees of other departments are also discharging their duties regardless of their safety, they are nothing less than warriors," he said.

Employees of the Delhi Jal Board, electricity, transport, food supply, police, traffic police, home guards and sanitation workers are also working to keep the people of Delhi safe and the compensation of Rs 1 crore to them is justified, he added.