South Delhi Mayor seeks LG's help in release of funds

South Delhi Mayor Shyam Sharma today met Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and sought his help in release of SDMC funds "due" from the AAP government, saying the cleanliness drive of the civic body will be hit due to its finacial woes.
Sharma also accused the Delhi government of "trying to derail" the sanitation drive of BJP-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) by not releasing the funds.
The civic body claims to have dues of nearly Rs 3,000 crore from the city government.
If the pending amount is not released it will be difficult for the corporation to release salaries. Apart from this, it will not be possible to release arrears of sanitation workers, Sharma said.

"If the salaries and arrears are not paid to the Safai Karmcharies it will become difficult to continue cleanliness drive that city government wants to derail," he claimed.
Sharma also alleged that he had sought an appointment with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for discussing the issue of pending funds but he was "denied" it.
The mayor also sought intervention of Jung in allotment of 14 acres of land close to the Okhla landfill site which has reached a saturation point.
Further he urged the the Lt Governor to permit SDMC to commission development projects on big vacant plots which could otherwise become dumping grounds.