Congress slams AAP govt for imposing conditions for loan to MCDs

Delhi govt has given a loan of Rs 551 cr to the municipal corporations of North, East Delhi which are facing financial crises

Delhi Congress today slammed Arvind Kejriwal government for imposing "stringent" conditions while extending loan to cash-strapped municipal corporations.

"Such stringent conditions have been laid by the Delhi government in extending loan to the municipal corporations that they won't be able employ any new sanitation worker or class IV employee," Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president Ajay Maken said.

The Delhi government has given a loan of Rs 551 crore to the municipal corporations of North and East Delhi which are facing financial crises. Demanding payment of their salary and other dues, sanitation workers of the two municipal corporations had gone on a 13-day long strike.

Leaders of sanitation workers and BJP-ruled civic bodies have alleged that while extending the loan of Rs 551 crore to municipal corporations, Delhi government has imposed conditions that would lead to "retrenchment", a "ban on regularisation" of contractual workers and "ban on hiring" of any new employees.

"Surprisingly, this is the same Aam Aadmi Party which came to power with the promise to regularise all the ad hoc and temporary daily wagers," Maken said.

The DPCC chief said there is no municipal corporation in the country which can sustain on its own and which does not require money from the state government.

"Such a situation never arose during the 15-year rule of Congress in Delhi and we used to give them money. Why can't this government provide them funds?" he said.

He alleged that the people of Delhi and employees of municipal corporations were suffering due to the "tussle" between Kejriwal government and the Centre.