The Delhi High Court today asked the city Police chief to ensure there is no hindrance to lifting of garbage in coordination with the civic bodies here, in view of the indefinite strike by sanitation workers.
"Commissioner of Police (B S Bassi) to ensure that the garbage are removed from the roads in coordination with the Municipal Corporations," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said.
It said the civic bodies' functioning should not be obstructed in any manner.
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The court also issued notice to the Ministry of Urban Development, Delhi Government and three Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCD) seeking their stand on petitioner Rahul Birla's claim that the concerned authorities were not paying salaries and arrears since 2003 to the workers of the MCD.
The court sought Delhi Development Authority (DDA's) reply on the issue raised in the plea that it owed "a huge amount of money to MCD and are not paying the said sum".
The court issued notice on a plea filed through advocate Vishal Mittal, who sought the court's direction to the authorities to make immediate payment of salaries and arrears to the municipal workers.
Senior Standing Counsel Rahul Mehra, appearing for Delhi government, opposed the plea saying they have released 100 per cent funds to the civic bodies. He said the workers had gone on strike despite the Delhi government discharging its duty.
The court asked Delhi government and other respondents to file affidavits with regard to the issues raised in the petition before February 2.
The workers of three municipal corporations have decided to go on indefinite strike from today, claiming the civic bodies have failed in meeting their demands, including regularisation of salary.
The petitioner said workers of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and East Delhi Municipal Corporation -- had gone on strike last year also, which had led to "accumulation of garbage for number of days at different places, which made the lives of people pathetic and miserable". It said if the court does not intervene, it will spark major health crisis in the capital.
In January, petitioner Rahul Birla had moved the court
when safai karamcharis had gone on strike, claiming that the authorities were not paying salaries and arrears to the MCD workers.
He had said workers of North, South and East Delhi Municipal Corporations had gone on strike in 2015 too leading to "accumulation of garbage for number of days at different places".
Another petitioner Birender Sangwan had sought lifting of garbage littered on the city streets due to strike by safai karamcharis' in January, and that the strike be called off as it was causing hardship to public.
The employees had later called off the strike after their salaries till January were paid.
