NEW DELHI: To counter the BJP-ruled MCDs over the issue of alleged non-payments to the sanitation workers, the ruling AAP government on Friday claimed that it had released Rs 770 crore to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) alone in less than six months in the current fiscal.
"It is an extremely serious matter that despite the Delhi government releasing Rs 770 crore to the East MCD alone, the sanitation workers are on strike for non-payment of their salaries whereas the area residents are suffering without any fault," a Delhi government statement said.
The Delhi government said that it had come across certain information in the public domain on the financial condition of the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi (ruled by the BJP) and the grants from the central government for the purpose. "To dispel any misinformation and counter false claims of the BJP-led central government and the MCDs, the Delhi government is placing in the public domain the entire facts related to funds released by the Centre and the truth of funding pattern for Delhi," the statement said It also termed the Centre's conduct in the matter "unfortunate" and "unfair" towards Delhi and its people.
The government said that as per the data of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Delhi's contribution to the central pool of taxes has gone up from Rs 54,705 crore in 2008-09 to Rs 1,08,882.50 crore in 2016-17. "However, there has been no increase in the assistance received by Delhi from the Government of India. It remains Rs 325 crore since 2001-2002. The central aid for Assam, Goa, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh had increased significantly.