new delhi: After a day of protests over unpaid salaries to doctors and healthcare workers of north-MCD-run hospitals in the city - both by the doctors and the MCD Mayors, Health Minister Satyendar Jain met with the three Mayors in a late-night development on Monday. However, the meeting did not result in a resolution over arranging for the funds.
While earlier in the day Jain had said he had called for a meeting with the Mayors, who had not shown up, his office later at night confirmed the meeting. The Health Minister said at the meeting that the Centre owed MCDs Rs 12,000 crore and requested the civic bodies to approach the Central government for these dues.
However, Jain said, "But they have not shown any interest in this suggestion which clearly shows that the BJP-ruled MCDs just want to politicise the issue but has no goodwill to find out a solution. I have also raised the issue of corruption within the BJP-ruled MCDs but they have rejected the claims. Everybody is aware of the corruption within the BJP-ruled MCDs but they are mum on this."
The Health Minister added that the Delhi government also has an outstanding loan of Rs 6,000 crore on MCDs and if there are any dues left, the Delhi government will repay the money.
Quickly shifting focus to the way the MCDs are administered, Jain went on to say that the civic bodies make money from various sources and are still unable to pay salaries due to corruption. He said, "In Delhi, to build a new house, a person needs to pay lakhs to the BJP-ruled MCDs. Today the MCD is unable to pay the doctors and nurses along with other employees because of this corruption. I will again say that if they are unable to run the MCDs then the BJP must resign and we will run the MCDs with the same budget."
Earlier in the day, Jain said that he had called for a meeting with the MCD mayors after the CM had called him over the protests. Jain said that while doctors go unpaid in civic body hospitals, the MCDs were busy protesting outside the CM's residence. "The Nurses and doctors have been protesting since October 5 and have not been paid for the last four months," he said.
Responding to the allegations from the BJP-run civic bodies that the Delhi government was withholding funds, Jain said, "Putting baseless allegations on the Delhi Government for lack of funds is not justified when their (MCDs) management system is filled up to the brimmed with corruption." This was before the meeting with the mayors.
The minister, however, added that in case the mayors go to the Central government to request funding, they will have the full support of the Delhi government in doing so. "The ultimate aim is to pay the salaries due to the Corona warriors," Jain said.