Govt not paying dues for collecting bio-medical waste, alleges SDMC

New delhi: South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has said that the Delhi government owes it an outstanding amount of nearly Rs 3 crore for ensuring housekeeping and sanitation services at the Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre at Radha Swami Satsang Complex in Chhatarpur.

Speaking at a press conference on the issue, Leader of House Narendra Chawla said: "The 10,000-bedded hospital was started at the initiative of Home Minister Amit Shah. In a meeting at the Home Ministry where the SDMC Commissioner and other officials were also present, SDMC was given the responsibility of collecting bio-medical waste. This was also recorded in the minutes of the meeting".

However, on being asked for a copy of the same, Chawla said that it was unavailable at the moment. "At this meeting, it was decided that the money spent by the SDMC in this endeavour (sanitation, upkeep, collection of bio-medical waste) was to be remitted by the Delhi government", Chawla added.

Mayor Anamika Mithilesh Singh said, "SDMC's Department of Environment Management Services (DEMS) deployed a total of 200 staff through SSIL, a Concessionaire hired by the civic agency. There are not enough funds to pay these employees but the government has not released a single penny", she

added.